It Went Something Like This
by Faye Lunacorn
Summary: Think about Cosmo and Wanda's tale. We only have bits and pieces of it! What's the whole story? From diner to wedding, it went something like this...
1. The Royal Treatment

Hi everyone! This is my first foray into the FOP realm of fanfiction, and I hope it's a good one. This idea's been brewing for a while, and it's taken an extended vacation from work for my muse to get anything done! Figgers, eh? This is only proof positive that I should quit and write for a living, LOL… anyway, on with the fic!

DISCLAIMER: Butch Hartman ownz all, and I hope he gets back into the FOP groove to fix up Cozzie and Wandie. X3 I'm just tying several incidents together for fun! Wheee!

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CHAPTER ONE: The Royal Treatment

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It was anything _but_ a typical Friday at Carl Poofy-Pants High. For one thing, the students hardly seemed to care if anyone smacked into a fake door, and for another, most of them forgot to poof in and out of class altogether! A constant buzz floated from room to room, not from fairy wings, but excited chatter being passed down the line. By the time first period had finished, half the school had heard the news, and the other half caught wind of it before long afterwards.

As soon as classes were done for the weekend, nearly every student poofed outside at once, and the buzzing chatter swelled into a roar. With homework blissfully left behind, the young fairies were free to discuss their preparations for the big event. This was not to be taken lightly - when Blonda held parties, fairies made reservations! And her party that night, she claimed, would be her greatest party yet!

Naturally, only the cream of the social crop were invited to attend; she would be playing hostess to various celebrity guests, and no one wanted to be embarrassed in their presence. Still, invited or not, the excitement was infectious, and it sparked plans for low-key parties for the "less fortunate". Everyone was in high spirits and ready to boogie down 'til dawn!

… well, _almost_ everyone.

In the midst of the schoolyard hubbub, three trendy fairy girls observed the excitement with obvious satisfaction. They were the closest members of Blonda's clique, and were responsible for spreading the news like wildfire. Passing students waved to them in hopes of befriending the girls, and several boys bashfully asked them to be their dates; alas, they were all ignored (unless they were football jocks) as the girls gabbed to each other, waiting for Blonda to meet them there.

"Wow, the whole school is totally pumped for tonight!" the purple-haired of the trio marveled. "You definitely know how to, like, work the grapevine, Chantelle!"

The girl next to her, sporting a tiny bow atop her long orchid hair, grinned and examined her nails in a smug fashion. "Like poofing a discus into a butterfly," she bragged.

Suddenly, the third fairy unleashed a piercing squeal, and every fairy within a five mile radius of the girl cringed painfully. "Tonight is SO gonna rock!" she cried, tossing her rosy hair. "I mean, did you see how many dreamy guys Blonda invited? And she has a swimming pool! I'm gonna die!"

Chantelle quirked an eyebrow. "Jeanie, the live performance by the HenningStreet Guys means nothing whatso_ever _to you?"

She simply giggled, "Oh, Lacey knows what I mean.. fill her in, girl!"

Lacey's teal eyes glittered. "Well, thanks to certain connections, Blonda's able to invite.. _**him**_."

At this, all three girls shrieked and flew in excited circles. They couldn't contain their delight, until a loud POOF! snapped them out of their fangirlish reverie. The dust cleared, revealing the Party Queen herself. But this time, she wasn't alone. There, holding her hand and wiping her eyes, was her frumpy twin sister!

Chantelle spoke up first. "Hey Blonda, 'bout time! We totally need to get some shopping done, remember?"

"Yeah, like, what kept you?" Jeanie asked.

"And what's with _her_?" Lacey frowned, gesturing to the less-hot of the twins.

To their surprise, Blonda leapt to her sister's defense. "Cool it girls, we've got an emergency here!" She regarded Wanda sympathetically, while the others were slightly repulsed. Tearstains ran down her face, she was constantly sniffling, and her dowdy yellow skirt was wrinkled from clenching it nervously.

Blonda's clique glanced at one another, clearly unimpressed. "It's just your unpopular sister having a typical teenage breakdown," Lacey observed dryly. "It's no big!"

Jeanie, however, scrutinized Wanda up and down. "But still… she, like, _never_ has breakdowns. Maybe it really is devastating!"

"Pssh, yeah right," scoffed Chantelle, folding her arms. "Like getting an A- in Alchemy or something? This is Wanda we're talking about! Her 'devastation' is every other fairy's dream come true!" The trio giggled in agreement, not noticing Blonda's frown deepen.

Wanda, meanwhile, began to sob even harder. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and began to drift away. Blonda quickly caught her sister around the waist and actually hugged her close. Then, with a protective air not seen since their elementary days, the blonde twin shot a glare so venomous at her friends, they hushed up without question.

"You girls have all the sensitivity of Jorgen von Strangle on a rule-enforcing binge!" she snarled, getting right in their terrified faces. "Look at my sister! Look at me! We're both growing worry lines and ruining our makeup in the process! An emergency of this caliber demands sympathy and understanding, and if you can't deliver, we'll just find another clique who will!"

Jeanie, Lacey and Chantelle gasped and clung to each other, fearing for their social status as Blonda's closest friends.

"N-no, sis.." Wanda mumbled for the first time. She was gently tugging herself away. "I-it's okay, I don't need them to-"

"Trust me, Wanda, milking this stuff is totally worth it," Blonda reassured, then returned to glaring at her friends.

"We're really sorry, Blonda!" they chorused. "We'll totally make it up to you! And Wanda!" they hastily added with a grin.

A tense moment passed between them – Blonda appeared to think it over, the girls started to sweat, and Wanda felt a bit awkward. Thankfully, the popular blonde broke the moment with a winning smile and gushed, "Aww, I can't stay mad at you gals. You're forgiven!"

They breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thanks Blonda!"

"Now," Jeanie started, "if this is as bad as you say, we should probably give you gals nothing but the best."

"Yeah, a real self-esteem booster!" Lacey joined in.

"And something to get us all ready for the party at the same time!" suggested Chantelle.

Blonda giggled, "You totally read my mind! Wanda, hold on to your wings…" She held her sister's hand again; Wanda had stopped crying by now, and the look on her face was one of fearful confusion.

"… and prepare for the Royal Treatment!" the entire clique cheered. They waved their wands and left the schoolyard behind in a trendy puff of smoke.

OoOoO

They reappeared in the Fairy World Mega-Mall, and the "Royal Treatment" began. It was a well-deserved title, in the opinion of many girls. The twins were treated to ice-cream first of all – nothing fueled a shopping spree like a dose of sugar! As they polished off their treats, the girls scoped out cute guys from a bench and discussed the latest gossip. Afterwards, it was off to buy jewelry, makeup, and top designer clothes from Fairyposa. Blonda was thrilled beyond belief, and all traces of worry were gone from her face.

The only downer, in fact, was Wanda herself. She'd loved her ice-cream, no doubts there! But she barely paid attention to the attractive fairies passing her by, and she'd tuned out the gossip by poofing up a novel from home. The most jewelry and makeup she'd purchased were a green ponytail holder and more pink lipstick. And she flatly refused to buy any new clothes for herself! The girls had been patient this whole time, but that was the last straw!

"What the heck is your deal?" Blonda screamed at her sister. "You should be changing your self-image to accommodate the latest trends and grab the attention of every male fairy you run into! That's the whole point of this trip!"

"Yeah, whatever happened to being, like, totally devastated?" Jeanie demanded. "The Royal Treatment is scientifically proven to turn your life in a new, much more popular direction!"

"That'd make anyone feel better!" Chantelle insisted. "And you should be honored we're doing this for you at all!"

"Yeah!" Lacey declared, having nothing more constructive to add.

Wanda glanced back and forth between the angry girls. She held up her hands in self-defense and gave an apologetic smile. "Hey, don't get me wrong! I really do appreciate what you're doing for me – thank you, by the way – but I just don't feel the need to change my look."

Lacey raised her eyebrows in surprise, then turned to her fellow clique-ers and muttered, "She _is_ the smart one, right?"

"As if," they scoffed.

Blonda dumped her various shopping bags on the floor and stormed up to her twin. "I don't think you quite understand why we're here! It was YOU who came crying to ME about a certain someone! YOU came to ME for help! So I'm helping you! But if you don't take my advice and burn that stupid dress come party time, you'll never get Wandissimo back!" Realizing what she just said, Blonda clapped a hand to her mouth, as if she'd revealed a dirty scandalous secret.

There was a loud gasp as Blonda's friends dropped their own shopping bags with a crunch. "_They broke up?_" they cried.

"Oh my gosh!" said Jeanie. "No wonder you were upset!"

"How can you show your face in public anymore?" Lacey wailed.

"You were dumped by.. _**him**_…" Chantelle swooned.

Wanda only rolled her eyes. "Promise me none of you will become school counselors," she sighed.

"Um, _hello_? Is anyone here thinking about the problem _I'm_ facing now?" demanded Blonda. When she had their attention, she continued, "My connection to Wandissimo is totally severed! He won't wanna be in the same house as his frumpy ex-girlfriend!"

"Golly, I forgot this was all about _your_ needs," grumbled Wanda.

Blonda whirled around and fired back, "Hey, I'm not being the selfish one here! This is your chance to clean up your act, float with a new crowd that's actually worth your time, and get Wandissimo back! I'm doing you a favor!"

Blonda's friends nodded in agreement. "For sure!"

But Wanda was beside herself. She grit her teeth and grabbed her sister by the shoulders. "Now you listen to me! I don't think YOU quite understand why I came to you! All I wanted was comfort! A little understanding and sympathy! I don't need favors from the popular crowd! I have absolutely no intention of going back to Wandissimo anyway, because I'M the one who dumped HIM!"

It was as if all oxygen had been sucked out of the room and replaced with helium – the high-pitched cry of "_SAY WHAAAAAT?_" just about deafened every shopper in the mall. The popular girls backed away from Wanda as though she had a disease… except for Jeanie, who simply passed out.

"But you were crying about it! Remember? Devastation?" Lacey reminded her. "Of course, I'd be feeling totally stupid and heartbroken if I'd done the same thing…"

Wanda shrugged. "You said it yourself Lacey, I was having a typical teenage breakdown. I've been stressed out lately, and when I dumped Wandissimo, it was kinda overwhelming.. you know how hormones are," she said matter-of-factly.

"How… how could you?" stammered Blonda. "He was.. he was the reason you had any popularity at all!"

"He was also a rude jerk who flirted with every fairy who made eyes at him!" Wanda countered.

"Tch, duh!" Chantelle exclaimed. "Why do you think he was popular?"

"Not that his chiseled, macho physique is any less important.." Lacey pointed out with a dreamy smile.

"Well, he seemed to think his muscles were the most important thing in the universe!" grumbled Wanda. "Even more than his girlfriend! And don't think it could be different for any of you popular girls either, he'll treat any girl the same way!"

"Oh? And why's that?" snapped Blonda, suddenly angry. "Do you honestly think we're on equal grounds here? Maybe he'd find a girl more important if she wasn't such a frumpy know-it-all nag!"

"Well, you're welcome to try!" Wanda shouted back. "Although I doubt he'd like a snobby drama-queen! So don't come crying to me if he isn't the perfect fairy of your dreams!"

"Fine! So long as you don't EVER come crying to me again, especially when you become old, lonely and unwanted!"

Wanda's eyes grew wide at this. She backed away, unable to meet her sister's gaze, and shakily drew her wand. "Don't worry," she choked out after a moment. ".. I won't."

She briefly saw Blonda's surprised face before poofing away.

Several long seconds passed. Blonda's friends, having watched the whole thing, didn't know how to break the dramatic atmosphere. It was finally Chantelle who approached her; she was floating rigidly, staring at the spot Wanda had once been. "Uh… Blonda?" she chanced. "We should, um.. we should get ready for the party, don't'cha think? I mean, we're totally popular! Wandissimo will still come! Maybe he'll wanna hook up with you and, like, rub it in your sister's face or something!"

"... yeah." Blonda didn't show her face to her friends; she simply picked up her bags and floated ahead. Chantelle and Lacey shrugged, and after reviving Jeanie, they followed.

OoOoO

I hope that was relatively good! If you guys like it, I'll post more, and if you don't.. well, I'll post more anyway. XD I'll take opinions either way! So please leave a review!

Next up: Lost in her thoughts, Wanda finds herself at a diner with a few friends. Maybe something there will cheer her up! What could it possibly be? Whether you can guess or not, stick around to see what happens!


	2. The Diner of Destiny!

WOOT! Chapter two! This one's gonna be loooooong, if only because this is THE chap I've had plotted out for some time, so I'm gonna milk the sucker for all it's worth. LOL! And as a C&W basketcase, expect some fluff! YAY FLUFF!

Also, I apologize for the corny chapter title. Just finished watching some nameless drama with my family, and I gotta get it outta my system somehow... X3 Now enough of me! Onward!

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CHAPTER TWO: The Diner of Destiny!  
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Wanda only poofed outside of the mall – as long as she couldn't see Blonda, she was fine with that. She blinked back her tears, a rush of emotion threatening to overwhelm her again, and slowly got her bearings. A massive crowd of fairies milled around the mall, chatting with friends and blowing their paychecks, and all of them were happy. She didn't know any of them.. she was surrounded by nameless strangers.. no one was here to comfort her or tell her it would be all right.. an unreasonable surge of anger welled up inside, directed at these strangers for daring to be happy while she was so miserable...

The pink-haired girl had to physically shake her head. "Get a grip," she told herself. It felt like too much was happening at once, too much angst and drama... she had to sort herself out before she was lost to her emotions. She needed to think clearly. She needed to get moving.

Her body moved as though on auto-pilot, directing itself through the traffic of fairies without a clear destination in mind. Wanda kept half an eye on where she was going. The rest of her attention shifted to her abundance of problems, and to the task of sorting it all out. Once her logical side began to take control, her emotions willingly calmed down to manageable levels, allowing her to pick them apart and make sense of what had happened.

It had started, of course, with Wandissimo. She smiled idly, remembering his warm smile and sultry voice. She remembered how he literally swept her off her wings the very day he'd transferred to CPPH. Talk about surprise! Wanda could picture the unbelieving look on her twin sister's face as the most gorgeous hunk in history asked the dowdiest fairy in history on a date. Honestly, how could she refuse? She was as smitten as the other girls, and the chance to show up the popular kids was too good to resist!

He wasn't cruel or unkind or abusive, not by any extreme means. He treated Wanda like a fairy princess, and she adored him for it. It was one of those times when she thought she was the luckiest girl alive, and how in Fairy World did she deserve someone like him? She was so lovestruck, she could see no flaws in Wandissimo at all…

That is, until a few months later. She couldn't recall the exact moment when she began to notice the little things.. he would wink at the other girls, or strike a pose to adoring fans, or spend their carnival dates in the Hall of Mirrors, admiring himself from every angle possible. Little by little, Wanda started to feel less special in Wandissimo's eyes.

When he held her hand, he would sling his arm around another girl for a photograph. When he would give her a massage after a stressful day, he would do the same for other girls (for a small fee, of course). When he told her how much he loved her, Wanda could easily picture him paying his biceps the very same compliments. Besides, he would only point out how beautiful she was on the outside, failing to mention anything of her personality.

Wanda turned a corner that lead out of the downtown area. She frowned slightly as she pondered that last point. She didn't place a lot of value on her own looks – admittedly, she had always considered a person's heart, what's inside of them, to be more important. So she had tried to be kind and friendly to everyone, offer a helping hand, and never judge by appearances... wasn't Wandissimo like that?

Her brow furrowed in concentration. There must have been something.. she wouldn't just date someone for their looks! She wasn't that shallow! No, Wandissimo was nice.. most of the time. Come to think of it, he _had_ made fun of her equally unpopular friends. That was only once, and she'd been so upset, he hadn't done it again. So that meant he considered her feelings.. except when he was flirting with crowds of fangirls.. or gave his impressive muscles more attention whenever they came to a reflective surface...

She closed her eyes briefly and sighed. Yes, he was a nice fairy, and definitely good-looking, but... she wanted so much more than that. Wanda finally understood why she'd broken up with him. A tight pang struck her chest, recalling how shocked and crushed Wandissimo had been earlier. She never wanted to hurt someone, and today she did.

Despite all of her reasoning, however, a small voice inside kept telling her she'd made a mistake. Her resolve slowly started to crumble.. then, as the voice grew louder, Wanda recognized it as Blonda's voice. _You could be popular... I'm doing you a favor... burn that dress... frumpy, naggy know-it-all... clean up your act! What the heck is your deal?_

Her deal? What was _Blonda's_ deal? She was her sister! Sure, Wanda reasoned, social status was higher on the blonde's list of priorities, but to what extent? When it got down to the wire, sisters are supposed to be there for each other, no matter what! And as twins, they should be closer than most! They _had_ been, long before peer pressure entered their lives.. was that enough to sever the family bond they shared?

That thought alone was enough to spark another good, long cry. Wanda had hoped that Blonda would give her sisterly support and comfort. Sadly, it became apparent what the popular twin valued more... even if she did genuinely care, she would never sacrifice her reputation to show it. What made things worse, it would be "party time with the Pixies" before the sisters would understand each other again. The truth hurt, more so than her time with Wandissimo...

Why couldn't Blonda see what Wanda meant? A fairy shouldn't be with someone who makes them feel.. incomplete? Unimportant? Whatever the adjective, they should find someone they can be with, and stay with, for the rest of their lives. It wasn't the option most fairies her age took at this point, but she saw things differently. She wanted to save her love and devotion for her special someone, just that special someone.. someone who would do the same for her.

Her floating drifted to a halt. Wanda was hugging herself again, and by now she had reached the outskirts of downtown. Small businesses were spaced farther apart and drew less of a crowd. Things were much quieter here; the gentle silence pressed in around her. A new worry had crept into her heart, one born of her sister's final statement.

What if she waited.. and she never found him? What if there was no one out there who would love her the way she dreamed of? What if she did become old and lonesome until the end of magic itself? What if she really was... unwanted? And then, not just by other fairies, but by her family too?

Depression was seeping into Wanda's bones.. she shivered violently. She didn't want to think about the possibility, because the more she dwelled on it, the more she would sink into it. She'd lose touch with reality and become a hopeless wreck!

What was she going to do? She didn't have a boyfriend anymore, Blonda probably wouldn't talk to her anymore, and in the whole mess, she'd forgotten her assignment at school! Ironically, all this self analysis made her feel...

"Lost," she murmured. "I'm lost.."

Saying it out loud didn't help. Desperately she looked around, half-hoping for some kind of sign to lead her out of her misery. And, in a way, she found one.

Wanda's gaze fell onto a gigantic floating sign for a diner. Flashing lights bordered the entire sign, including an arrow hanging off one corner and pointing down to the establishment itself. Through one window in particular, Wanda could make out her two best friends having milkshakes in a booth. A broad smile crossed her face, and she actually felt hopeful for the first time that day. "What could be better than sugar and friends?" she mused aloud. "Maybe things'll start looking up!"

Little did she know...

OoOoO

Classic diner music and the warm smell of grilled burgers greeted Wanda when she pushed open the glass door. The place wasn't especially busy, although she could see the cooks and waiters bustling about to get their jobs done. The counter was gleaming before her, and if it weren't for her friends, she would've taken a seat next to the tempting platter of cookies on display. Instead, she floated to their booth and called to them. "Mystic! Jen!"

The girls looked up and smiled. "Heya Wanda!" the blue-haired girl waved. "We saw you coming. Have a seat!" She gestured to the empty space beside her. Wanda obliged as the other girl, Jen, spoke up.

"Hey girl, you look sorta under the weather," she noted, worry rising in her features. "Is everything okay?"

Wanda sighed, partly in relief. It was good to have friends who cared, at least. "Actually, no, but I'm doing better now."

"Aw, no worries Wanda – your shake's on me today!" Mystic announced and patted her friend on the shoulder.

The orange-haired girl huffed, "Oh, so that means you'll cover my bill too?"

"My offer is reserved only for those who make the right decision, even though the 'hoity-toity social butterflies' are too blind to see it. Don't worry, your chance is bound to come along!"

"Wait a second," Wanda broke in, "what are you talking about exactly?"

Her friends giggled a bit in embarrassment. "News like that tends to spread like fairy dust," explained Mystic. "Word on the wing says you and Wandissimo are finally done, kaput, old news, _finito_. And I'm praying it's true!"

"Give us the good news!" Jen urged. "Please tell us it's over!"

Once more, Wanda's heart grew lighter at their encouragement. And to think she'd been agonizing about it not even half an hour ago! "Okay, okay!" she laughed. "It's over, it really is."

An overexcited cheer of "HUZZAH!" rang out from her friends – and Wanda thought she heard someone else join them. She didn't think much of it, as Mystic bunched her fists excitedly and clapped her on the shoulder again.

"This is the greatest! You're finally free from that egotistical muscleman! Dude, this calls for the Super Bowl-of-Sundae deluxe!"

"Not for me," Wanda said. "I'll just have a regular strawberry swirl."

"Okay, your loss. WOOHOO!" And she was off like a shot to the counter behind them. Her friends watched her, laughing as she rang the service bell continuously.

"I might not be as.. enthusiastic as Mystic," Jen said, "but I'm definitely pleased. Wandissimo really wasn't the guy for you. You did the right thing!"

"I hope so," Wanda sighed, feeling free to express her worries. "I did have a breakdown after I dumped him; I cried and had a fight with my sister and everything! I feel kind of.. empty now. Something's missing, y'know?"

Jen smiled warmly. "Hey, they call those breakdowns 'typical' for a reason! It's no big deal. Sisters fight all the time, you'll patch things up eventually. And it's natural to feel 'empty' after a breakup. Someone will come along to fill the void. You gotta stay positive!"

Wanda offered a slight smile and rested her chin in her hand. "Thanks Jen. I didn't really care about boys and romance before. Now all _this_ happens, and it's all I can think about! All of a sudden, I want to find the perfect fairy for me.."

As the rose-hued fairy trailed off, Jen's attention was suddenly diverted to the counter. Behind Wanda, she could see Mystic dealing with the pimply-faced waiter, who was actually a very good friend of theirs. They were carrying a conversation of their own while Wanda proceeded with her train of thought.

"Obviously, he would love me for who I am, not just for my looks. I wouldn't mind if he thought I was pretty though.. and I hope he only has eyes for me."

Jen watched as Mystic gestured to their booth and told the waiter something. Suddenly, a wild grin spread across his face; Jen could practically see his lime-green eyes become hearts when they fell on Wanda.

She went on, "He would be kind and generous. He'd.. have a good heart, you know?"

Mystic had to nudge the waiter out of his daydream. He jumped, smiled apologetically, and wrote down her order. To her surprise, he tore off the bill and stuffed it in his own shirt pocket, clearly intending to cover it for them! Mystic tried to protest, but he ignored her, whistling while he worked.

Wanda giggled, "Know what else would be good? If he could make me laugh! I've been so stressed out these days, it would be perfect if he did that!"

The waiter started with Wanda's order. He had served up the milk and ice cream easily enough, but when he started on the whipped cream, things went slightly awry. The cream wasn't coming out of the can's nozzle, so he shook it up even more. Then he made the error of looking right down the nozzle as he pressed it. Gobs of whipped cream sprayed into his eye, causing him to stagger back in agony, flailing his arms in a panic. Jen could hear him screaming as he flew about, knocking over the cookie platter, the condiment basket, the coffee maker, a passing waitress, the pop dispenser, the "Take a Penny, Leave a Penny" cup, the till and the unsuspecting cashier. Mystic simply covered her eyes as the chaos unfolded.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" continued Wanda, oblivious to the mess behind her. "He would be one of those modest guys, really down-to-the-clouds."

The waiter stumbled back to the unfinished shake. And somehow, he managed to slip and fall on his face. Jen barely heard him call out, "I'm okay!"

"And even though I don't make decisions based on looks, it wouldn't hurt if he was cute too."

The waiter popped up from behind the counter. He was covered head-to-toe in whipped cream. Through the layer of white, he chuckled nervously and pulled out his wand. He poofed up a tray with two deluxe sundaes, and magically topped off Wanda's shake with whipped cream and a cherry. Mystic couldn't help laughing; as thanks, she pulled out her own wand and cleaned him up. When she turned away from him, he resumed staring at Wanda like a lovesick puppy.

"Yeah.. those would be the basics," Wanda sighed, an odd smile tugging the corners of her mouth. "But what're the odds of me meeting someone like that?"

Jen could only blink. "Odds.. yeah..."

Mystic was still chuckling to herself when she arrived at their booth. "Man, that was pretty troublesome," she remarked.

"And strangely coincidental," Jen commented.

Both girls looked at Jen oddly. "Er.. care to elaborate?" Wanda asked, reaching for her dessert.

Jen blinked again, this time with a dangerous twinkle in her eye. "Maybe," she answered. A mysterious smile spread across her face. "Uh, I actually wanted to ask you something! You still tutor Cosmo, right?"

The pink fairy sipped her shake with a straw. "Sure, every so often. In fact, he's been doing loads better since I started helping him! I think he'll graduate with us this year!"

"About time," Mystic grinned. "I remember someone telling me he'd been at Poofy-Pants for six years before you came along! Gotta be a record.."

"Wouldn't his mom have clued in by then?" Jen wondered. "Put him in a special class or something?"

"Nope," Wanda sighed irritably. "When I offered to tutor him, she said he didn't need it. Apparently he's one of those gifted fairies who 'learns at his own pace'. And she's right!" The girls laughed good-naturedly; regardless of Cosmo's limited brain-power, they still liked him.

Jen was enjoying her first spoonful of ice cream when she spotted Cosmo coming their way. The distant shouting of upper management drove him onward, bucket and mop in tow. The grimace showing off his braces vanished, however, upon sighting his close friends, and his beloved Wanda. "Hi girls!" he greeted cheerily.

"Hey guy!" said Jen and Mystic. Wanda turned to him in surprise.

"Cosmo!" she gaped. "Wow, I didn't know you had a job!"

He took the opportunity to puff out his uniformed chest. "You betcha! And all I did was walk in with Mama last week! I was halfway done my burger when they hired me. And look!" He whipped out a large keychain, which bore only one key, and held it up with pride. "I have my own bathroom key! Isn't that cool?"

Aside, Jen muttered to Mystic, "You don't suppose a sack of cash was involved, do you?"

"Of course not," she replied. "I _know_ a sack of cash was involved."

Wanda paid them no mind. She kept beaming at Cosmo. "That's fantastic! I'm really proud of you."

"I should mention who made that milkshake for you, girl," Jen cut in. She winked encouragingly at Cosmo. "Watched him do it myself!"

"Really?" She took another sip and closed her eyes, letting the creamy dessert linger in her mouth for a bit. Cosmo suddenly became nervous. The mop and bucket clattered to the floor, and he chewed his nails, watching, waiting for her reaction.

To his delight, Wanda was soon grinning again. "This is one of the best shakes I've ever had," she praised, and by the light in her eyes, he knew she meant it. "I love it! Thanks Cosmo!"

"YES!" he cried, breaking into a victory dance. It resembled a crazy mix of the twist, the Macarena, and the moonwalk. "Go Cosmo! Go Cosmo! Who da fairy? Ah'm da fairy! Oh yeah, oh y- er..."

He froze. Everyone in the diner was staring at him, including Wanda. Nervously, he picked up the mop and bucket. "Um, I mean, you're welcome! I put my heart and soul- I MEAN, ah, lots and lots of whipped cream into it! Yeah! Eh heh.."

Wanda couldn't help giggling.

"**COSMO!**" bellowed a deep voice from the back. The fairy in question winced. "Hurry up with that cleaning! I'm not gettin' paid by the hour y'know!"

"Y-yessir Mr. Boss-Man sir!" Cosmo hollered. He offered a quick wave to his friends, met Wanda's eyes for a moment, then floated off in a blissful daze.

The girls were all smiles afterwards. "He's a moron, but he's got a good heart," Jen observed through a mouthful of whipped cream.

"He does, doesn't he?" agreed Wanda.

Mystic's eyes danced with mischief. "Ha! Betcha didn't think so when you first met him!" She and Jen suddenly burst into laughter at the memory, much to Wanda's bashful dismay.

"Aw c'mon, girls, you promised not to bring it up again," she pleaded.

Mystic was nearly choking on her food by then. "Sorry.. but the look on your face.. priceless!" she gasped. "In the middle of orientation too!"

"You gotta admit, you have.." Jen had to smother more laughter before finishing. "You have one heckuvva scream!"

They howled even more, grabbing their sides and thumping the table with their fists. They were drawing the attention of fellow diners and not caring in the least! Wanda gave an indignant huff. "You'd be screaming too if a dart that size landed where it did! I'm scarred for life thanks to him!"

It took her friends a few minutes to finally calm down. Wanda remained annoyed at them, quietly sipping her shake, until the funny glint returned to Jen's eyes. "Say Wanda.. if that whole dart thing was so bad, why didn't you kill Cosmo then and there and be done with it?" Mystic, whose mouth was completely full, nodded her agreement.

Wanda's annoyance became innocent confusion. "Sheesh, Jen, you know me, I'm better than that! I waited until the principal finished his speech, _then_ let Cosmo have it."

"No no no," Jen shook her head, "I'm talking about _after_ all that. You made friends with him anyway! You were the one who introduced us, offered to sit with him at lunch, and you're always helping him in class. Why?"

"Oh. Well I... um.." Wanda put a finger to her chin and thought hard. Truth be told, she had never held the dart incident against Cosmo. Maybe it was out of pity at first – he'd only used the dart to find a friend in the first place. After delivering her "retribution", she soon learned that he suffered daily beatings at the hands of Luther Lex, and was generally picked on besides. When she finally caved and agreed to be his very first friend, good _night_! She'd never seen anyone get so excited!

But thinking back on their friendship, whenever they hung out together, she couldn't recall feeling sorry for him. He was always an idiot, sure, but he was funny, and a good friend, and.. well, he seemed to do plenty of nice things for her especially... he didn't care what the popular crowd thought, except when they thought about beating him up... he chose to be himself, no matter what... and the more she thought about him, the less she minded his acne and braces... yeah, he could be really cute sometimes...

Wanda gave an audible squeak. What the heck was she thinking? There was no way..! Not Cosmo! He's an idiot! An unpopular idiot who was always nice to her and there for her and brightening her day and... oh gosh, it was true.. not five minutes ago, he made her laugh, and she had this warm feeling in her chest the whole time... he'd made her milkshake, and he was so pleased she liked it.. she felt special and important then.. no way...

"Oh Wanda?"

"AAH!" Wanda jumped out of her daydreaming. Her friends were watching her, and the wide grins on their faces caused her nervous stomach to drop. "Wh-what? What're you looking at? Is there whipped cream on my nose or something?"

The girls' eyes narrowed with glee. "Heavens, no! It's better than that!" Jen gushed, the grin never disappearing.

Mystic drawled, "You're bluuuuushing.."

"_I am not!_" cried Wanda, covering her cheeks. Doggone it, they were warm! "I-it's just.. the light in here! It makes my face look red! And anyway, this is a restaurant, i-it gets really hot in here! Don't you think?"

They kept grinning.

Now Wanda really was beginning to sweat. She tugged at her collar and carefully edged out of the booth. "Uhh, I think I'll just step outside and, uh.. cool down a bit.. I'll be back... next week-"

"No need," Mystic said, and she grabbed Wanda by her wings, forcing her to sit. "You have a perfectly nice milkshake to chill you out! Unless there's something about it that, I dunno.." And she got right in Wanda's face. ".. _warms_ you up a bit? Hmmmm?"

"Cut it out!" Wanda growled, feeling the blood rush to her face again.

"I second that, Mystic," Jen said suddenly. "He's on waiter duty now! He's coming this way!"

"Eep!" Wanda squeaked and peered around her seat. Sure enough, there was Cosmo, emerging from the kitchen with a tray of food and.. heading towards them? "What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" she begged her friends. Their maddening grins only widened.

"Just act casual," Jen encouraged. "Be yourself!"

"And cool down with some ice cream," Mystic suggested with a wink.

She quickly did as she was told. The chilly shake seemed to break the warmth in her cheeks. Wanda took this as a good sign. She was able to settle down considerably, get herself together.. she smiled at her friends, silently thanking them. Then, she turned around.

Cosmo must have been looking at her, because their gaze locked instantly. Wanda could feel her heart racing as he smiled her way. She had trouble telling whether she returned the smile or not; for that matter, she had trouble acknowledging the world around her, because she was deeply interested in his eyes at the moment.

There was something about them, something that held Wanda's attention fast. It wasn't just how green they were, or how they lit up whenever he was happy. Something stirred within them, and Wanda got the sense that whatever it was, it was meant _just for her_. Did that mean.. well, it was kind of obvious that he liked her.. but now! What a feeling! She had no idea if Cosmo was the fairy of her dreams.. but if the warm tingling that was spreading from her chest to her head was any indication, somehow, she'd found a likely candidate among her closest circle of friends. Really, what could be better?

_**SPLORTCH!**_

Cosmo and Wanda had been so preoccupied with each other, they hadn't noticed his tray tilt! The burger and milkshake toppled over in unison, and thanks to a certain spin of the glass, the food sprayed all over the two fairies. Both were well covered in milkshake and burger fixings; Cosmo wound up with the tomatoes to himself, and Wanda wore the pickles.

Years from now, their friends would say they made a picture perfect couple right there. Mystic and Jen were laughing themselves sick at the time, of course. Thus, they didn't catch a certain moment, one that Cosmo and Wanda consider the start of their relationship.

The tomatoes dropped from Cosmo's eyes, followed soon after by the pickles from Wanda. They were drenched head to toe with sticky ice cream, and above their friend's laughter, Cosmo's boss was ranting and raving, ready to give the clumsy waiter the boot. But they were still beaming, lost in their own little world, away from the noise and the mess.

"Eh heh.. hi again, Wanda," said Cosmo.

Wanda laughed softly. "Hi Cosmo.."

OoOoO

Too long? Too talky? Too mushy? Not enough? Please lemme know anything I could fix up! I really hope to become a professional writer sometime, so any and all constructive criticism is welcome! Many thanks in advance!

And I should be honest.. the plot's kinda fuzzy from here on out. So it may be a while until I update again! Or perhaps not. Gotta wait and see. X3 If you're still interested, keep an eye out right here! I'll post a wee preview of the next chapter once I get an epiphany!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you like!

Next up: Since neither Cosmo or Wanda want to go home yet, they decide to hang out.. er, as friends, really! What could be so bad about visiting the amusement park anyhow? Well, with Cosmo around, you never know! No matter what, they're gonna learn a few things about each other...


	3. Some Enchanted Evening

If you're reading this, then you have just witnessed a miracle. I UPDATED! XD I really am sorry for the long delay! Working retail in the Christmas season with only a handful of a staff is not entirely enjoyable, if y'all catch me drift. But I haven't given up! It's been a wrestling match, but I pinned down my wandering muse and got this next part done! So enough chit-chat! Let's get it on!

OoOoO

CHAPTER THREE: Some Enchanted Evening

OoOoO

"Boss-Man was really nice to let me leave early! He didn't make me clean up the mess or anything!"

"So all that shouting about you being an incompetent dunderhead with the IQ of a slab of concrete was _nice_?"

"He was speaking in code to keep it hush-hush, obviously. If he gave one of us a vacation out in the open, everyone would want one!"

"... but he doesn't want you to come back ever again."

"And that's the code for an _extended_ vacation!"

Wanda could only shake her head. A part of her wondered if Cosmo understood he had lost his job. She couldn't bring herself to tell him outright; he'd been so proud and happy up to this point, and she'd be the last one to deflate his spirits! Besides, for now, Wanda was actually pleased he'd gotten an "extended vacation". She could spend more time with Cosmo and figure out exactly how deep her feelings ran.

But she wasn't quite willing to go it alone, not yet. Jen and Mystic were outside of the diner, waiting patiently for their comrades to join them. Wanda figured they would all spend the evening together, having fun and being carefree, as friends usually are. While a small part of the pink fairy wanted one-on-one time with Cosmo, the bigger, louder, and currently panicked part of her was _scared spitless _of the idea! If they became uneasy with each other, the easiest out available to them would come from their friends. A desperate, but definite plus, and Wanda would take what she could get.

This whole song and dance had been easy with Wandissimo – they'd been openly affectionate from the get-go. But Cosmo was her friend! The transition from friend to "more so" could be awkward and disastrous for the pair involved. Expectations, feelings, you name it - every bar was raised, and any sort of resulting fallout could cut deep. Was it worth the risk? All just to fill a gap in her life? In her heart? Was this just some sort of rebound? What would happen if she and Cosmo got together? Would they change? Did they really like each other like that, or was it a fleeting fling they would try to forget years from now?

So many questions riddled her anxious mind... and she knew the only way to answer them was to take the risk.

And Wanda knew she was going to take that risk. How could she not? Cosmo had all of the qualities she'd been hoping for from Wandissimo; it just took an emotional breakdown and a Cosmo-induced pick-me-up to realize it! The only trick remaining was the rocky transition in their relationship. If it was to happen at all...

Wanda stopped herself. 'Easy, girl. Think positive. If you want to make this work, think positive!'

Cosmo had poofed into his regular clothes by then, and was cheerily waving to his (former) fuming boss while floating outside with Wanda. He made sure he darted in front of her, pushed through the door, and held it open for her. "Ladies first," he bowed deeply.

Butterflies danced the conga somewhere in Wanda's midsection. Chivalrous, was he? Maybe this whole transition thing wouldn't be as hard as she imagined! "Why thank you, kind sir," she grinned bashfully in return, and was swift to oblige.

'If Cosmo keeps this up,' she thought to herself, floating to her friends, 'it'll be a piece of cake! And with Jen and Mystic around too? What could possibly go wrong?'

At that moment, there was a yelp from behind Wanda, soon followed by a painful _SLAM!_ She whirled around in time to find Cosmo plastered to the glass doors, dazed and twitching. It appeared as though his hand was somehow caught in the handle when holding it open, and when he tried to close it... well, I'm sure you get the picture.

Cosmo twisted his head around, and his crossed eyes settled on his friends. "My bad.." he warbled. "Say, anyone get the number of that fist..?"

"Oh Cosmo!" Wanda groaned, rushing to his aid.

Mystic and Jen, meanwhile, smothered yet another giggle fit. "If someone had predicted this yesterday," Mystic squeaked, "I'd have put 'em away!"

"Me too! But just look at them," cooed Jen, watching as Wanda helped Cosmo right himself. He suddenly swayed and grabbed his head in pain. Without thinking, Wanda quickly ran her fingers through his hair, checking for any obvious damage. She gave a sigh of relief when she found none.

Only then did Wanda seem to realize the position she was in: her hands, of their own accord, had clasped themselves comfortably behind Cosmo's neck.

Only then did she catch Cosmo staring at her... a look of astonished wonder frozen on his face. He was too stunned to move.

For a few moments, Wanda's expression softened.. she moved a little closer...

... then reality struck. Flustered and red in the face, the fairies sprang apart.

"_Smoof_!" the girls hissed in disappointment.

"They were that close! _That close_!" whined Mystic, indicating their closeness with her thumb and forefinger.

Jen groaned and slumped in midair. "How come these things never happen when we're around, huh? I'll bet it's some stupid joke from Cupid, or an evil anti-fairy plot to deprive us of any fluff-induced joy!"

"Whatever it is, our presence won't help at all," Mystic deadpanned.

"My point exactly! ... wait, what?"

"I hate to say it Jen, my friend, but if Cosmo and Wanda are gonna see any progress at all, we've gotta vamoose. Give them a little room to sort themselves out without a constant audience, know what I mean?"

Jen groaned aloud and shook her fists. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!" she complained. "Can't we just stick around and watch? Maybe give 'em a gentle nudge in the right direction? Pleeeeeease?"

Mystic gave a suspicious look. "You've been hanging out with Faye again, haven't you?"

"Er... w-well, it's not like she's a _bad_ fairicorn, maybe a bit overexcited sometimes... okay, ALL the time, but-" Luckily, Jen's flustering was ground to a halt by the sudden appearance of Wanda, and Cosmo wasn't far behind.

"Alright, gals, let's get this party started!" Wanda declared with a mile-wide grin. It wasn't hard to see the panic rising behind her plastic façade, or the way she was silently pleading for her friends to chase off the awkwardness. What else could Mystic and Jen do but take action? (Even though Cosmo didn't seem very uneasy at all, but if Wanda kept this up...)

"Follow my lead," Mystic quietly ordered a disgruntled Jen. Then she turned to Wanda with a sigh. "Girl, we'd love to cruise the city with you, but something's come up, so Jen and I hafta bail."

This didn't sit well with the pink fairy at all. "_What?_" she shrieked. "Where are you going? What could be more important than keeping Cosmo and I from.. uhh..."

"Getting lost?" Cosmo offered helpfully.

"Yeah! That!" Wanda finished.

"Sorry guys, but we've got.. um..." Jen floundered for a moment, then came up with, ".. a potions assignment!"

Unfortunately, Mystic cried ".. a family emergency!" at the same time.

There was a moment of silence. Wanda stared at them, briefly confused. Mystic and Jen gave toothy smiles, and were hoping to escape before Wanda cottoned on.

"Wow, you two got real busy real quick!" Cosmo piped up. "I guess that just leaves us, Wanda!"

And then it clicked, to the girls' dismay. "It certainly does," Wanda concurred. The stink-eye she fired at them was potent enough to melt cheese within seconds, and if they didn't run now, they'd be next!

"Gotta go, family's waiting! Bye-eee!" Mystic rushed out before poofing away.

"Uh, same here!" Jen said quickly. "You'll thank us later! Have fun! Tell us all about it!"

She would've gone on, if it wasn't for Mystic poofing back, grabbing her by the wings, and poofing away again.

Needless to say, Wanda was NOT pleased. They knew she was in trouble! They knew she needed them! But heavens, no, it was better to play "matchmaker" and strand her with Cosmo! They were probably nearby, out of sight, watching their every move..

Oh yeah, **that** thought made her feel better.

The fury on her face swiftly dissolved when she turned to Cosmo. Here they were. Finally alone. And she had no idea what to do next. Panic had completely locked her brain up! If Cosmo was in the same state as she.. oh smoof, they would be there all night! They wouldn't do anything, then Cosmo would probably leave, maybe even give up on her and find someone else to swoon over, and her opportunity would be lost for good, and then she'd be lost and heartbroken, probably for the rest of her-

"So what'cha wanna do now, Wanda?" Cosmo asked.

Wanda shook herself out of her thoughts. She settled down a bit at the sound of his voice. It was cheerful and calm. Did that mean he wasn't panicking? The young girl took a moment to study him. Smiling, eyes alight, arms folded casually behind him... yes, he looked very much at ease.

Well, if he was faking it or not, it certainly relieved Wanda. She returned the smile and, becoming her old self, laughed. "I don't know, really," she answered, choosing to be honest. "Although I definitely don't want to go back home yet. What do _you_ wanna do?

"Go out with you!" Cosmo shouted joyously. But, upon catching Wanda's shocked expression, he added, "Um.. yes! Go out with you, and, er, do... something.. as friends... since we're friends and all, heh.. right?"

"R-right!" agreed Wanda, probably a little too swiftly. "Let's just do something.. as friends." So much for _that_ opportunity. Seemed like neither one was willing to fess up out loud yet. How long were things going to be like this?

Wanda didn't get to ponder much beyond that, for Cosmo suddenly cheered and grabbed her hand. "We can do tons of stuff as friends!" he declared excitedly. "Let's go to the mall! Or the arcade! Or the Hall of Cheese in Dairy World! C'mon! Time's a-wasting!"

He didn't bother with poofing; instead he soared down the street, pulling Wanda behind him. He had no idea that Wanda was staring at their clasped hands with a funny sort of smile...

OoOoO

Ten minutes of floating and talking had transpired since then. Surprisingly, the more Wanda thought about their present relationship, the happier she actually felt. Cosmo had said it himself – they could do tons of stuff as friends, right? What better way to get to know someone, especially without worrying about the unspoken rules of dating and romancing, than by simply being close friends? Chances of awkward tension and discomfort were next to nil. They could chat about anything and do whatever they wanted, even if it was for the sole purpose of killing time. Nothing would get in the way of the fairies being themselves! This was perfect!

And it was coming in handy, since very few attractions had caught their interest thus far. They had passed the mall (Blonda was probably still there), the arcade (way too many fairylings hanging about), the malt shop (not really hungry), and various night spots (not their cup of tea, and the clubs hadn't opened anyway) without much of a second glance.

"The Hall of Cheese is still open, you know," Cosmo suggested. "Can we go? I haven't been there since yesterday!"

Wanda tried not to laugh. "For the twenty-eighth time, Cosmo, I don't want to! I'm not as big a fan of cheese as you."

"But it's made from the same stuff as chocolate! You love chocolate, don't you?"

She opened her mouth to protest, then stopped. He honestly had a point. Sensing he had leverage, Cosmo insisted, "Pleeease? It'll be great, I promise! We can go to the Chocolate Museum after that, if you want!"

Once again, Wanda couldn't help her amazement at him. All Wandissimo would do was take her wherever he wanted without asking. Not that she didn't have a good time, but she liked to have her feelings considered too. Whether it was Cosmo's wonderfully kind personality, or the tempting allure of chocolate, Wanda moved to relent to his wishes.

Suddenly, the young fairy was cut off by an obnoxiously loud, nasal voice ringing over the crowded street. Everyone turned their head to the source, and found a small fairy shouting into a massive megaphone. He was dressed in an oversized clown costume, complete with makeup, a bald wig, and a huge red nose. "Come one, come all!" he screamed. "The Zonklin Show has come to town! Bring your family and friends to the most magical midway in Fairy World!"

"Coo-al!" cheered Cosmo amidst the excited murmurs of the surrounding fairies. Wanda only smiled with him.

"We've got games, rides, food, and fun for all! Be dazzled as the Ding-A-Ling Brothers perform death-defying feats in the big top! Trained pegasi await to take you to the stars and back! And as a special treat, tonight only, the Zonklin Show will fill the sky with magnificent fireworks at midnight! The park is open now, so what are you waiting for? Tickets are on sale at the front gate! Come to Crystal Mere for an unforgettable evening! Come one, come all!"

The fairy clown continued his broadcast down the street, leaving fairies abuzz in his wake. Only two fairies in the flock remained quiet; all it took was a silent exchange of smiles, and their plans were set.

OoOoO

"My plans are totally ruined!" Blonda wailed over the uproarious din. Her party was in full swing, and all fairies present were having the time of their lives! The HenningStreet Boys sang and danced smoothly on an outdoor stage, which was located conveniently near the gigantic pool. Thus, almost everyone had poofed into swimsuits; they alternated between poolside lounging, dancing, and eating the plentiful snacks. Some were crazy enough to try all three at once!

Everything was going as a successful party should, as far as Chantelle was concerned. So why was the popular hostess cooped up in her parents' kitchen, sulking? She had decided to investigate.

"Like, what are you talking about, girlfriend?" the orchid-haired cheerleader asked nervously. The scowl on Blonda's face could turn several sports cars into cubes of twisted scrap. This was dangerous ground, and Chantelle knew it. The best thing to do, she figured, was to focus on the positive. "This is the greatest party _evar_! I mean, the decorations match everything perfectly, including your outfit! Your mom, like, totally outdid herself with the catering, and Luther's too busy eating and swimsuit-watching to shove anyone in the pool this time! Not to mention those dreamy Boys!" Chantelle couldn't hold back a squeal of delight. "You totally rock! Fairies will be talking about this party for years to come!"

She waited. Blonda had taken a seat at the kitchen bar/counter, unmoving, arms folded, her back turned to the celebrations outside. The lights gleamed through the window and onto her wavy golden locks, giving them many a festive color, despite her un-festive demeanor.

After a few second's silence, Chantelle gave an exaggerated, preppy sigh. "Come ON, Miss Hostess, you're always the life of the party! So... get livin', 'kay?"

Still no response. A pensive frown was set firmly in Blonda's features. Nothing seemed to have reached her. Now Chantelle was starting to worry.

"Blonda?" Tentatively, she hovered closer and touched the girl's shoulder. "Hey.. what's the matter?"

The quiet voice and physical contact brought Blonda back. She blinked, startled, then gave a swift shake of the head. "N-nothing, it's nothing," she mumbled.

"You can tell me," Chantelle insisted in a soothing manner. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"No, I.. I don't wanna talk about it."

"It's okay-"

"OH MY GOSH YOU GIRLS HAVE _TOTALLY_ GOT TO SEE THIS!" Jeanie's piercing squeal shattered the atmosphere instantly. There was no time to react as the hyper pink-haired cheerleader appeared out of nowhere and latched onto Chantelle's arm. "Adrian Spellcaster just flew off the stage, did all kinds of twists and somersaults and loops and stuff, and then he dove right into the pool! But get this - _he landed on Lacey_!"

"NO WAY, he didn't!" gasped Chantelle, all thoughts of Blonda's troubles diverted elsewhere.

Jeanie nodded and bunched her fists below her bobbing chin. "And like, to make up for it, he's letting her sing with the band! But I think having him land on me would be enough, don't'cha think girls?"

"Oh my gosh, we SO have to get out there!" urged Chantelle. "Maybe Lacey'll get us on stage too! Let's go, Blonda!"

Surprisingly, all traces of past tension were absent, and Blonda smiled gently at her friends. "You girls go ahead. I'll catch up later."

"Y'sure?" the girls chorused.

"Of course I'm sure!" the blonde fairy giggled lightly. "Get going or you'll miss your chance!"

They needed no further convincing. The girls waved and were out like a pair of shooting stars, babbling excitedly about where Adrian should autograph their shirts, on the sleeves or the back.

Alone once again, Blonda slumped over the counter and let the cheery mask drop. Sometimes it helped to be a natural-born actress. If she didn't want to open up to someone, they would never know there was a problem in the first place. The only times Blonda would give away her true feelings unintentionally would be when the problem, however inexplicably, struck her deep.

She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but that last argument with Wanda wouldn't stop niggling at the back of her mind. At first, Blonda wrote it off as party stress. Now that the little frump had given Wandissimo Magnifico the boot (of all fairies!), there was no guarantee he'd show up at her parties anymore. Smoof, odds were, he'd do everything he could to avoid their home entirely! And a party without Wandissimo, in Blonda's opinion, wasn't much of a party at all. Her only link to the first fairy worthy of her attentions, gone, possibly forever, just like that! Why did Wanda have to ruin everything?

Then, when she thought about it, Blonda knew it couldn't simply be party- and Wandissimo-related worries. As different and distanced as they'd become over the years, the sisterly bond she shared with Wanda still meant something to her. Oh, she could recall many a day at school, where they would stick up for each other, work out problems together, and cause all kinds of mischief for their teachers and parents. Those were precious memories.. but that's all, right? There were more important things in her life now, like acting and climbing the social ladder. Blonda had to think of her _own_ future first. Right?

Well, if that were true, how come the look on Wanda's face kept haunting her?

She groaned aloud. "Stupid sister," Blonda muttered to herself. "She wrecks everything I try to do! And look at me, moping alone in the kitchen while everyone and their significant others are having a blast at MY party! Oh, why can't something go right for _me_ for once?"

Her wish was heard and granted. It appeared not two feet behind her in a puff of smoke.

¡EL POOF!

OoOoO

Crystal Mere was the largest lake in Fairy World, and it was also the most beautiful. Many a romantic proposal had taken place along its shores, and many a determined soul hoped to glimpse some mythical creature taking a drink in the misty dawn of spring. Being a popular tourist stop already made the mere an ideal location for any major event, and the Zonklin Show was no exception!

The Kaleido-Coaster, which was powered by blazing rockets, sent a rainbow of sparks flying high above the midway. The sparks drifted down to the bustling masses weaving in-between the rides and game booths. The Chainless Swings swung wildly next to the Zipping Zapper, the Crocktopus, and the Outta-Controlla-Whirl, all of them bearing screaming fairies young and old. Scattered amidst the chaos, skill- and luck-testing game booths challenged all comers, and rewarded the victorious with plushes of all shapes and sizes. And for those who preferred something that involved less walking, the Ding-A-Ling Brothers' circus tent was hard to miss – especially when an ornery dragon belched flames through the fabric roof.

It was hard to know where to start!

"Wanna try this one?" Cosmo asked, pointing to a spinning pinwheel known as the Xanadar. Wanda felt herself go pale.

"Er, I don't know.." She'd been to carnivals before, but she hadn't tried the real thrillseekers... and Wandissimo tended to favor mirrors above rides, anyway.

"C'mon! It's just like riding in the dryer, only safer!" the green-haired fairy persisted, inching closer to the growing line-up.

"You're not supposed to 'ride' in a drying machine," Wanda pointed out.

He chuckled proudly, "Yeah, I know that now!"

Wanda sighed. "How is this any safer than a dryer? Looks the same to me!"

"WHOA. You must have really big dryers at your house."

"Cosmo!" she snapped, losing some patience through jittery nerves. Her stomach flip-flopped uncomfortably. "I mean it looks dangerous!"

"Aw, don't worry so much. It'll be fun!" He whooped and threw a fist in the air, trying to encourage the girl he adored, but to no avail. She kept tossing worried glances at the whirling wheel as it slowed, her hands twisting anxiously. Noticing this, he had a sudden brainstorm. "Wanda? I'll, uh... if you want," he said bashfully, "I'll.. hold your hand.."

Bewilderment replaced Wanda's worry in a heartbeat. Faint color rushed unbidden to her cheeks at the suggestion, and it was no different for Cosmo! He suddenly found the clouds beneath him very interesting as he waited for her reply.

The Xanadar groaned smoothly to a stop, now resting parallel to the ground. Wanda gave it another quick study. Maybe it didn't look _too_ bad, she supposed.. and there were some little fairylings floating off, laughing and smiling, so it can't have been _that_ frightening. And if Cosmo was going to hold her hand..

"Okay." Her voice was rather quiet, but Cosmo heard her clear as a bell. His head snapped up to find the girl of his dreams, smiling faintly, and holding her hand out to him. He took a moment to pinch himself – holy smoof, he _wasn't_ dreaming this time! – then, smiling somewhat dazedly, he closed his hand around her own.

Neither fairy caught the gentle thrill passing over the other in that moment. All they could acknowledge was how nicely their hands fit together.

They moved down the line, and were the last two on board for the next run. Wanda was surprised at how unafraid she was. The buckles looked kind of flimsy, the ride operators were sleepy-eyed, and this whole thing was like a screaming metal deathtrap! But something about Cosmo's constant grinning, his excited laughter, and his warm hand around hers chased away her worries. As the ride began to spin, she entertained the notion that maybe, simply taking his hand, she could face just about anything.

OoOoO

"Should we go back on the Jumbler? Or how about the Flaming Circlet? Wait, we haven't been on the Fairies Wheel yet!"

"Ah, actually, can we take a break? Maybe we should eat something..."

"... is it suppertime already?"

"Well, yeah, but I'd like to eat something _before_ I get sick instead of after!"

"Hahaha! Aw, I'm sorry for dragging you on all the rides. You should have said something sooner!"

"Nah, I'm okay. And besides, you were having a lot of fun!"

"Oh, you," giggled Wanda. She took Cosmo's hand and led him to the long rows of food stands. She had no idea those rides could be so exciting!

It didn't take long to find Cosmo's tummy a remedy. A couple of hot dogs and sodas later, they stopped at a shaved ice stand for dessert. Their spending money was running a little low, so Wanda suggested pooling their cash together for a large helping to share. Once they'd chosen two flavors, they held the treat between them, and drifted through the bustling masses, eating and chatting all the while.

"I had no idea they carried a cheese flavor," the girl commented, peering at the orange-colored snowball with some apprehension. Cosmo, on the other hand, dug in gleefully.

"About time, if you ask me! They probably got tons of letters asking for it!" Then he added as an afterthought, "Not that I sent them any, eheheh!"

Again, Wanda smiled, and she spooned herself some tutti-frutti snowball. "You know what, Cosmo? I'm having a great time!" Wanda gushed. "Thanks for hanging out with me."

He was grinning again, his braces glinting in the fading sunlight. "You really mean it? 'Cause I'm having a great time too! It's like a dream come true!"

"You've dreamed of going to the midway, riding yourself sick and eating snow-cheese?"

"No, silly, not _that_ dream! I mean the one where we go out to.." He screeched to a halt, turning red. "Um, I mean, we fall in... wait, not that one either! We get mar.. _gah!_"

Fighting off her own blush, Wanda gave him an out. "Whatever dream it was, I'm sure it's a good one, right?"

"Y-yeah! A really good one! I'll tell you all about it someday!"

His promise hung between them for a moment; Wanda felt the warm tingle spread from her heart to her wingtips. The pair continued drifting aimlessly, quite content in each other's company. "This is way better than any of Blonda's parties," she sighed dreamily.

Cosmo was taking another spoonful when he paused. "Say, Wanda? What are parties like, anyway?" he asked. "I haven't been to one since I turned seven! Are there clowns and balloons and piñatas and games, like Pin The Tail On The Mermaid?"

"Oh no," she laughed softly. "Parties are much different now. Mostly there's music and dancing, plus a lot of fairies starting 'bad habits', if you know what I mean."

"... oh my gosh! They pick their noses in public? No way!"

"Er, actually, it's worse than that." She took a breath, hesitating for a moment. Better to tell the truth than skirt the issue, right? "Sometimes they sneak in drugs and alcohol when the parents aren't looking."

"Ohh," he gasped, genuinely thunderstruck for a moment. "But Mama told me all that stuff does is make fairies sick. How is it fun, then? They've got to play games to have fun!"

"They do, but they're not the kind of games you're thinking of! Lately, everyone wants to play drinking games, or Spin the Wand, or-"

"Wait," Cosmo interrupted, "Spin the Wand? Isn't that the kissing game?" He pulled a face of mild disgust. "Ew, I wouldn't wanna have to kiss someone I didn't like!"

The topic of kissing (and Cosmo kissing a fairy he liked, the identity of whom was darned obvious) would have made Wanda freeze up under normal circumstances. Surprisingly, instead of a quick subject change, she found herself unafraid to go on, almost in a flirting manner. "You know, sometimes, they had to kiss fairies they didn't even know!" she giggled.

"_Eeww!_" Cosmo's face twisted in revulsion, earning yet another laugh from Wanda. "I might not understand a few things here and there, but I _really _don't get that! What's the fun in kissing strangers? What if they have a cold or something?"

"I don't know, really," Wanda shrugged. "I never played it, not even when Wandissimo joined in."

Cosmo suddenly choked on a mouthful of snow. That when it struck Wanda – this was the first time she'd brought up her ex-boyfriend with him! Maybe this was a bad idea, talking about past relationships already! Regardless, the topic had been breached. What else could she do? She helped herself to more shaved ice, silently gauging his reaction.

He blinked in thought. "He played that game without you? But I thought you guys were..!" Cosmo shuddered, reluctant to go on.

Wanda smiled, lightly amused, then thought back to the first party she'd gone to with Wandissimo. A dull cloud seemed to dim the light in her eyes. "All the girls there insisted he play," she explained quietly. "He said.. he couldn't let them down. It was his duty to boost their self-esteem, and they were all counting on him and his 'buena apariencia', or some stupid thing like that.."

She was shocked to feel her eyes stinging. True, Wanda may have gotten over the initial pain of heartbreak, but remembering how second-rate she felt... it wasn't easy to come to terms with, despite having such a good time with Cosmo. She mentally willed her emotions to calm down, reminding them of the kind and gentle fairy she was with now.

"How could he do that to you? _**What a**_ _**jerk!**_"

Wanda turned to Cosmo, startled by his outcry. She regarded him, wide-eyed and disbelieving. It was the angriest she'd ever seen him! Frowning, brows creased, seething mad, all at Wandissimo for what he'd done. The only difference rested in his eyes. There, amidst the quiet fury, she caught sight of absolute compassion and sympathy, and a longing to take away her painful memories for good. In a strange way, it was captivating to Wanda. Never before had anyone outside of her family shown such a fierce desire to... to what? Protect her? Care for her? See that she was treated right? Her father had a similar look about him many times before, but to see it in _Cosmo's_ eyes was something different altogether.

Perhaps she had stared for too long; the expression disappeared in an uncertain blink, and Cosmo turned back to his snow-cheese. Still too stunned to say anything, Wanda just watched him, chewing his plastic spoon, deep in contemplation. Awkwardly she took another helping of flavored ice, unsure of what to say or do next.

Finally, Cosmo pulled his spoon out and declared in all seriousness, "I hope that Muscles Magoo caught a LOT of colds."

Wanda didn't know which hurt more – her ribs from laughing so hard, or her sinuses, victims to a literal brain-freeze as a result!

OoOoO

HOLY FREAKING COW. That's eleven pages, my Spanish galleons! Twelve, including my ramblings! Which is LONG! And I wasn't even planning on cutting off here! But I promise, I'll be updating much sooner than last time. I know for sure where I'm going now, so I hope you'll like it. Don't be shy to tell me what needs fixing! Or what was really good! Or anything in between, like, say... cookies? LOL

To Sandersonsgirl411, WLiiAfanatic, Goddess of the Rising Sun, Sydney, Aerinsoul, Trixie21, Commander, KnuxZ, and Lara Luna... thank you so much! Your reviews and support mean a lot to me! I prolly would have given up if it wasn't for you guys! Mucho amoray to you all!

Also, an added thanks goes out to Lara Luna, for correcting mi espanol! Muchas gracias!

And now it's almost midnight. I should wrap this up. XD Toodles!

Next up: the evening keeps improving for everyone! Cosmo and Wanda become even closer.. will they finally give their feelings a chance? And why did a certain fairy poof in on Blonda like that? Let's hope this evening doesn't drag on TOO long... young fairies get in trouble for staying up late, after all..!


	4. A Date With Disaster?

... delay much? ^_^;

(dodges various projectiles) Whoa whoa 'ey! Can you wait to kill me until after the chapter? Pretty please? I've become very fond of living.. just a few more minutes would be nice... or maybe a few more chapters?

Okay, let's be honest. The FOP fandom's fallen into some kinda decline, which really did discourage me from writing for a bit. But I can't leave it hanging forever! So let's cut the chatter and carry on! Cosmo and Wanda forever! :D

OoOoO

CHAPTER FOUR: A Date With Disaster?

OoOoO

Any fairy doubting the fantastic reputation of Wandissimo Magnifico had clearly never seen him before. His long, raven hair floated smooth as silk from the tidy ponytail he always wore. His amethyst eyes entranced any who caught a glimpse of them, and when coupled with a sultry smile, it was impossible to look away. And then his muscles! Perfection defined! They weren't jagged, rock hard like Jorgen's, nor were they concealed as subtle ripples beneath his tanned skin. They stood proudly to attention, giving Wandissimo the ideal build and form; and yes, he _was _as strong as he looked! Few members of the female population could float straight whenever he poofed into the room.

And Blonda was no exception. Of course, that could be attributed to being caught unawares, and alone, in her parents' kitchen.

"AAH! W-Wandissimo!" she cried, darting backwards, before her unexpected guest motioned her to be quiet.

He dared a quick glance at the party outside. "Forgive me for the sudden intrusion, _bonita_ Blonda," he whispered. "I did not want to make my presence known yet."

Was his voice enchanted? Blonda pondered the theory for a moment, surprised at the soothing effect he had on her. Maybe it was his adorable accent... at any rate, she was soon calm enough to speak. "Well, I'm glad you finally showed up," she began in hushed tones, "but what in Fairy World possessed you to poof in _here_? The party's out _there_! Along with your entire fan club!"

"_Si, eso es cierto_," he sighed with a debonair grin, and a practiced blend of appreciation and pride. "I am indeed grateful to the masses for idolizing me, following me, and showering me with many compliments and roses... but I cannot fulfill my duties tonight!"

The fairy kicked into 'full-blown dramatic' mode at this point. He spoke and posed in such a way, anyone watching would assume he'd been told he had three weeks to live. Of course, the very idea of death was alien to fairies, but with Wandissimo's flair for drama, he could make the notion one-hundred percent believable. It was that particular skill, along with other noted features, that attracted Blonda to him so completely. And right then, she was loving every second of his performance.

"_Que terrible!_ How such misfortune came to rest on my broad, muscled shoulders.." Though quite unnecessary, his white tank top ripped apart on cue, displaying his entire torso briefly before the top was back. ".. I am unable to say. It is unthinkable!" The top ripped again, and was back moments later with a magical 'ping'. "Impossible!" Rip. "Inconceivable!" Ping.

Rip, ping, rip, ping, rip, ping.

"I am a broken fairy, and as such, I cannot face my adoring fans." He suddenly became quite serious – the posing and ripping had ceased. "I must.. speak with someone. And I cannot afford any distractions for such a matter as this."

Only then did reality click for the lovestruck Blonda. Her glazed, half-lidded eyes cleared at the change of his demeanor. "Oh..! Sorry, I didn't catch that," she confessed, having the grace to blush.

Wandissimo smiled understandingly at her. "It is alright. But you must listen to me now.."

In one fluid motion, the Latino fairy scooped her hands into his and pulled her close. There wasn't an inch of air separating them. In Blonda's case, the air became very warm very quickly. Her eyes shot open and her breath hitched. She was frozen in shock as Wandissimo murmured softly, "For it is you, Blonda... you are the one I need."

The raucous party outdoors ceased to exist. Blonda realized two things in the space of a moment: that she had been dreaming of this for some time, and that her dream was coming true! Still, the lingering doubts... "W-wha..? But.. Wandissimo, I thought y-"

"Shh," he hushed, pressing a finger to her lips. "Please, _bonita_ Blonda, say nothing else... except that you will help me in my darkest hour.. that you will rescue me from an eternity of loneliness! I cannot bear to face such a future! And you are the only one who can save me!"

What fairy alive could resist a proposal like that? Blonda had no conscious control over herself, her mind was in such a euphoric rush, but somehow she was able to reply smoothly. Thank goodness for instinctive acting! "Oh Wandissimo... how can I say no to you? Coming from anyone else, I'd think they were buttering up a quick favor and nothing more! I know you, though. You're different from the others."

She paused for effect. A knowing twinkle gleamed in her eye. "I'd love to help you," she whispered.

Well, the macho fairy's face lit up like a brand new wand. He seized the girl in a tight, gentle hug. "_Gracias_," he choked, swept up in raw emotion. "You have answered my many prayers, Blonda! You are like an angel sent to repair my broken heart!"

'He's really getting into it,' she thought briefly. The sensation of being held so close, so lovingly, by the fairy of her dreams intoxicated her. So what if it looked like the fastest rebound in history? So what if she was missing her own party? Blonda was in Wandissimo's arms, alone in the kitchen, feeling truly happy for once in her life...

And it ended all too soon.

Moments later, Wandissimo pulled away. He was no longer showing affection of the amorous sort... now it was more like affection of the excited-puppy-dog sort. "So this means you will speak to Wanda on my behalf and convince her to return to my loving, muscled embrace, which is reserved only for her?" he asked in one breath.

"Of course I—HUH?" she choked.

"She refuses to speak to me!" he wailed, oblivious to the heart he'd just broken. "I have approached her countless times today, and each time, _ha ignoró mí_! It is unbearable!"

"Why you - can't believe - oh, just move on!" Blonda growled, her heartbreak transforming into anger (which can be a dangerous thing coming from her!). "If my frump of a sister is stupid enough to dump you, she's not the one for you! She doesn't even deserve you! Look for someone else! Someone who.. who'll never think of leaving you!"

Wandissimo's jaw dropped. "You do not understand. It is Wanda... my beautiful, swirly-haired angel... she is the one! She is my true love! I cannot simply give up because of a teenage fallout! Those destined to be can overcome any obstacle!"

"Oh yeah? And what if your so-called 'true love' won't even give you the time of day?"

He shrugged, "A minor setback, that is all."

Blonda smacked her forehead and tried to sound calm. "Okay, fine, just explain this one little thing to me," she muttered through gritted teeth. "What makes you so smoofing sure that _Wanda_ is your dream fairy? You've got the entire female population of Poofy-Pants throwing themselves at you, and instead of choosing someone at the top of the social ladder, you stoop down to _her_ level! It's unheard of! It doesn't make sense at all!"

"It is true love."

His quiet interjection silenced Blonda. She stared, stupefied, as he went on. "When such powerful feelings arise out of nowhere... when they cling to your heart, despite what others say or do, despite all reason, and nothing in the universe can chase them away... what else can it be?"

"You don't know how to let go, that's what!"

"Blonda!" he shouted. "Do not tell me that I am wrong when you cannot feel what my heart knows! I choose to follow it, and it rests with _mi amor_! With Wanda!"

The blonde fairy wanted to argue. She wanted to shout back, maybe physically beat sense into his muscle-headed determination, and she moved to do so. But one more glance at Wandissimo told her it would be a wasted effort. He floated in place, rigid, unmoving, with a look that simply _dared_ her to try. This fierce loyalty of his made her admire and loathe him all the more. In the confusion of her own heart, Blonda could only sigh and slump closer to the floor. It was hopeless.

"W-Wanda's.." she began, her voice beginning to waver. "She's not... she's not here right now. Haven't seen her since after school."

".. oh." Wandissimo's vigor quickly left him. The disappointment on his face was too much for Blonda to take.

So she took a deep breath and said, "But, uh, when I see her next, I'll.. try talking to her. For you."

All she could muster was a ghost of a smile, even when Wandissimo beamed and swept her up in another hug. "Oh, _muchas gracias,_ Blondita! You are a truly wonderful friend!"

"Thanks," she laughed half-heartedly. "Now get outta here. The party doesn't start without you, y'know."

Wandissimo chuckled, "_Si_, but only if our gracious hostess will join us!"

"I'll be out in a bit, now g'wan!" she insisted. With a smile and a wink, Wandissimo poofed away. Once more, Blonda found herself alone.

The fairy folded her wings. She sat on the cold kitchen floor, her back resting against the counter. Hugging her knees to her chest, she spoke to the empty space. "What a jerk. He goes spouting eternal love for.. for... a-and then he gives me a nickname, as if we were actually _something_, without knowing it. What a stupid, moronic jerk.."

The partygoers outside cheered loudly as Wandissimo poofed into their midst. None of them knew that their hostess was huddled in the dark, lost in a whirlwind of emotions, unable to think clearly. So, desperate to release her grief, Blonda cast her stubborn will aside, and started to cry.

OoOoO

"Wanda? Hey, what's the matter?"

Cosmo's concerned voice broke through Wanda's sudden daze. She blinked and shook her head. "Huh..? Oh, sorry. I was.." The girl furrowed her brows, trying to remember what just happened. The pair was sitting comfortably atop the Fairies' Wheel. Wanda could remember going around a few times, laughing whenever Cosmo raised his arms and cheered as they swung down, and she had joined him in pointing out familiar places throughout Fairy World. It was a lot of fun!

But then the ride began to slow... she peered over the edge and saw a couple dismount the ride far beneath them.. and then.. she felt something...

Cosmo took her hand. "You looked so sad all of a sudden. What happened? Do you wanna come on this ride again? 'Cause if you don't wanna get off, we can-"

"Oh, no, that's not it," she told him with a wan smile. "I don't really know what... it's weird. I just feel sad.. oh!"

A tear escaped and ran down her cheek. She wiped it away with her free hand. "But why? It doesn't make any sense..." The strange sadness was quickly rubbing off on the confused fairy. Unconsciously, she gave Cosmo's hand a squeeze as she fought against the invading emotion.

Poor Cosmo was at a complete loss. He couldn't fathom why Wanda had become so sad, let alone why it came out of nowhere! Did he say something wrong? Was the wind getting in her eyes? Had she gotten sick from the one spoonful of snow-cheese he'd begged her to try? Worst of all, was she just not having fun with him anymore?

The green-hued fairy was fully prepared to have a panic attack – and a panic attack from Cosmo could easily spell disaster for the fair! Luckily, somehow, the miniscule portion of his brain which fired off coherent thoughts from time to time registered something important. It was a small, delicate hand tightening around his own. Wanda's hand. That simple action delivered an important message, despite the fact that the girl of his dreams hadn't said a word.

The reasons why didn't matter. Wanda.. his beloved Wanda was sad.

Although she probably didn't realize it, she was silently asking for comfort.

From him.

_She needed him._

Cosmo wouldn't deny her request - such an act was impossible. But what could he do? Never in his entire life had any fairy relied on him for anything! Plus the fact that it was _Wanda_, of all fairies... well, he had to get it right. It had to be the one thing she needed, and wanted, the most of all. What was it, though? As usual, Cosmo had no idea. All he could think to do was to squeeze her hand back. 'That's not good enough,' he scolded himself.

Suddenly, the Fairies' Wheel shuddered beneath them; then it gave a violent lurch forward, as if unsticking itself. All fairies onboard cried out in surprise, and Cosmo and Wanda instinctively wrapped their arms around each other. A few seconds passed, during which the ride stopped once more to swap riders at the bottom. The pink and green couple didn't move.

"Uhh, s-sorry!" stammered Cosmo. He started to pull away, expecting Wanda to do the same.

Instead, as he leaned back into the chair, Wanda held onto his arm, the one still draped around her shoulders. She met his shocked expression with a bashful one, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "Can I.. is it all right?" she asked timidly.

All speech had been stunned out of him. Cosmo had enough sense left to nod dumbly. Unable to mask her delight, Wanda gave him a smile that turned his brain to lovestruck tapioca, and proceeded to lean against him comfortably, keeping a gentle hold on the arm around her.

As the pair drew slowly closer to the ground, Cosmo tried to process what happened. Wanda wasn't just sitting beside him now, she was leaning against him! She was letting him hold her! Like _this_! Strangest and best of all, she was happy about it!

He quickly took another glance at the cozy smile on her face. He couldn't believe it.. he'd made her happy again! If Wanda hadn't been so beautiful and so comfy and hadn't smelled like the most wonderful roses in his mother's garden, he would be whooping and dancing for joy! Nope, he chose to embrace the moment instead, settling against his dream girl and enjoying the warm buzz of his heartbeat.

Cosmo was perfectly content right where he was. Right where it felt like he belonged...

OoOoO

Blonda was back to her old self, and thriving in her natural habitat: the party scene. A few minutes of crying had done wonders on her mood. In fact, she couldn't remember feeling better than this! She thought it odd at first, how quickly the sense of contented happiness settled into her, but hey, she wasn't about to question it. It was high time she joined her own party!

After a quick sweep of the premises, Blonda poofed into her favorite bikini and dipped her feet in the pool, a tall glass of iced tea at her side. (Her parents banned alcohol from her parties... and no one was dumb enough to cross her father!) Friends and acquaintances strolled by, some pausing to chat on their way to the snack table or the dance floor. The music kept everyone's energy up, and so far, only two fan-crazy girls had to be dragged away from the Henningstreet Boys - they had tried to poof Lacey away from Adrian and gotten a little _too_ friendly with him.

The only hitch was purely personal - having to deal so closely with Wandissimo. He had become the life of the party in Blonda's absence, and he was practically everywhere at once. He would spend some time with one clique, as one or two girls clung to his arms, then he would suddenly poof to the next group, schmoozing and showing off as usual.

Once or twice, he came too close for Blonda's comfort. Each time she would scan the crowd for a good-looking guy, poof to his side, and strike up a conversation. It was something of a routine for a while, until the Henningstreet Boys ended their concert with a slow song. It was a favorite of Blonda's – "All Along" was the title – and she was cozying up to her latest companion, when...

"Hey! Blonda!" She started at the sound of her name, catching sight of Luther Lex, sporting deep blue swimming trunks, muscling his way through the crowd. And he looked pretty annoyed.

"Oh boy... you'll have to excuse me," she sighed to her companion before floating away. Having Luther annoyed was a _bad_ thing more often than not, as it could lead to someone saying the wrong thing, followed by a massive brawl. Better to do damage control before any damage was done.

The instant they met up, Luther started ranting. "A coupla unpopular mooks are tryin' t' crash! Say dey're lookin' for Wanda. You didn't actually invite her, didja?"

Blonda groaned upon hearing her sister's name. "Great. Of course I didn't invite her!" she half-lied. "Ugh, I thought I told her to keep her stupid friends away from my parties!"

Luther shrugged irritably and grumbled, "Well, here dey are! You gonna tell 'em t' shove off or what?"

"Don't worry your little mind, Luther, I'm sure the guards have them by now," she sighed impatiently.

"Ya mind checkin'?"

"Oh come on! Frightened of cooties at your age?"

"NO!" Luther recoiled as stifled laughter rippled around him. "I jus' know dey gotta better chance at getting' in, bein' dat Wanda's your sis an' all! Who knows when yer gonna get soft an' let 'em in one day! I'm jus' lookin' out fer th' rest of us, y'know?"

The blonde fairy twitched. "Oh? Then who's looking out for _you_?"

One explosive poof later, a flabbergasted football toppled into the pool as Blonda stormed to the guards. She took some pleasure in hearing the party-goers cheer and dive after him.

Big Daddy had thoughtfully provided a pair of hired bodyguards to keep troublemakers out. And they were the best in their field. Even the jocks steered clear of them, they were so intimidating! But not to Big Daddy's girls. Both Wanda and Blonda had been under the protection of gigantic guards so often, size rarely mattered to them – a trait which would later prove useful when dealing with the likes of Jorgen!

Sure enough, upon reaching their designated post, Blonda found the humongous fairies holding two girls captive. The guards had taken their wands away and were dangling the girls by their wings. She refrained from gagging at their fashion sense – a gut reaction most popular folks picked up. Unpleasant as this was going to be, she braced herself for one on one contact with the common folk, and decided to make it as quick and painless as possible.

"Get your filthy mitts offa me, ya big palooka!" Mystic shouted, struggling to break free.

"Our friend lives here! We're just looking for her!" Jen insisted, putting more effort into reaching her wand first.

"Sorry. You're not on the list," one guard grunted.

"Well, neither are you!" Mystic pointed out. "What makes you so special? Get goin' and leave us alone!"

"Nice try, missy," Blonda scoffed as she approached. The girls grew quiet, though no less disgruntled at their situation. Blonda recognized them as Wanda's closest friends, but it didn't make her any happier. "Alright... Joe, Mac, drop 'em. I can handle it from here."

The guards silently complied, releasing the girls and returning their wands. Mystic snatched hers back with a sour face, then turned an annoyed eye to Blonda. "Look, Miss Priss, we just wanna talk to Wanda, okay?"

"Yeah, remember her?" asked Jen sarcastically. "She's your _sister_, and she _lives here_, so _naturally_ her friends will come and pay a _visit_.."

"Very funny," Blonda growled and folded her arms.

Mystic's threw her arms in the air, exasperated, as she ranted back, "Well, we wouldn't _have_ such a sense of humor if you were _half-decent_ enough to let your own sister have her own social life within a hundred yards of your shindig!"

"Hey, watch it!" hissed Blonda, as she summoned her wand and aimed it at the two with a vicious glare. Jen backed away in shock, while Mystic stubbornly held her position. She knew she'd struck an important nerve. Of any popular snob, Blonda had something of a soft spot regarding the unpopular, if only because of Wanda. Mystic hoped that, by getting under her skin, common sense would kick in and get the proverbial ball rolling. Judging by Blonda's grinding teeth, however, today would not see any more progress. "Those guards keep trouble out," Blonda raged, "and as far as I can see, you're nothing but! So shut your traps and _get outta here!_"

"We'll be happy to oblige," Jen replied calmly, placing herself between Mystic and Blonda. Always the peacemaker, Jen would much rather prevent a magic fight than let one start. "But please, tell us where Wanda is, and I promise we'll leave!"

The popular fairy still glared daggers at Mystic, but relented enough to lower her wand. "Hate to disappoint you," she said shortly, "I haven't got a clue; she's not here. Now take off."

Something about her answer, however, piqued their interest. Their eyes grew wide, and all traces of their aggravation disappeared. "Hold it, hold it," Mystic spoke up before Blonda could turn away. "You're saying... she's not home yet?"

"What am I, my sister's keeper? She can take care of herself! It's not my problem if you can't find her-"

"You haven't seen her since after school, right?" Jen interrupted.

"As in, she didn't just come home and go out again, right?" Mystic pressed.

"It doesn't matter! Wherever she went, she's still there, and despite what some football jocks may think, I don't care!"

The unpopular girls gasped, exchanged a delighted look, then cheered loudly and gave each other hugs and high-fives. "This is so awesome!" they cried.

Blonda stared. That wasn't quite the reaction she'd expected. "Um... sorry, what? OOF!" Jen, grinning from ear to ear, forcefully and suddenly hugged her around the middle.

"Thanks for the great news, Blonda!" she squealed. "I can't believe they did it!"

"C'mon Jen, let's go celebrate!" suggested Mystic. "Pizza party at my place! Toodles, Miss Priss!"

And just like that, they were gone. Blonda stared dumbly into space, trying to process what just happened.

"... 'they'..?"

OoOoO

With a disappointed sigh, Wanda closed her wallet. Even combined with Cosmo's funds, they didn't have enough to ride the pegasus-drawn carriages around Crystal Mere. And it was such a beautiful night too! They sky was full of stars, and the crescent moon outshone them all! "Oh well, it'll have to wait," she sighed.

"Aw, it's no big deal. We don't need flying horses to have fun!" her companion reasoned. He grinned wider in the hopes that she would be more easily convinced if he did so. For a second, she broke into quiet giggles.

"That's true, but.." She gave an embarrassed shrug. "Well, it's kind of silly..."

Cosmo latched on to this tidbit instantly. Wanda, silly? She was even better than he dreamed! "What? What? You can tell me!"

"N-no, you'll laugh!" Wanda protested with a shy smile.

"I promise I won't!"

"I don't think-"

"C'mon, I'm pretty silly too!"

"Never mind Cosmo..."

"Pleeeeeeeeease?"

He then used his patented puppy-dog eyes to their fullest extent. Wanda, suddenly overcome with adoration and slight pity, found herself cave just a bit. "It's really not all that important," she replied uncertainly. How in Fairy World did Cosmo _do_ that?

"I still wanna know," Cosmo pouted. "I want to know more about you!"

It came out so naturally, so innocently, Wanda didn't spend a moment thinking about the implications. She just chuckled in reluctant surrender. "... Okay. But promise me you won't laugh?"

Seconds later, Cosmo had zippered his mouth shut. Now a jagged, metallic smile was stretched from ear to ear.

_He's so cute!_ Wanda gushed to herself. She continued out loud, "The truth is.. ponies are my favorite animal. I've always wanted one for a pet."

"Really?" Cosmo beamed, having poofed the zipper away. Wanda couldn't help mirroring his delight.

"Really! They're graceful, majestic, intelligent creatures! My parents won't let me keep one though. Big Daddy says it's bad for his image." She nearly rolled her eyes for the thousandth time at the thought. Perhaps the notion was rather "girly", but hey, was it so surprising coming from one of his daughters?

Cosmo's smile faded a bit. "That's not really fair," he half-whined on Wanda's behalf. "Every fairy should have a pet. They make great friends!"

"Oh, Daddy would let us have a pet no problem. It just had to be a big, tough, sharp-toothed _thing_ which would scare off anyone he didn't like!"

Hearing this, a surprised expression crossed the green fairy's face. "Hey! Hey! I just had a great idea! You can borrow my pet if you want! He's everything your dad likes, except for the scary part-"

Wanda felt herself involuntarily turn pale. "No no, er, that's okay!" she rushed. "I don't think there's a lot of room at my house for him right now... uhh, we're renovating!"

A careless wave of his wand was her reply. "Nonsense, he's kinda shy, so you'll hardly notice him. I'll show you!"

Most summons took a brief moment to materialize; for Wanda, it seemed to happen in slow motion. The snap of Cosmo's wrist, the star filling with light, the gentle 'ping', the column of smoke appearing not five feet above them... and when it cleared, Wanda knew disaster wasn't far behind.

"_GRRROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!_"

"Snowball!" Cosmo cheered.

The massive hydra turned all three heads at the sound of Cosmo's voice. Both fairy and pet disregarded the startled shouts from the other fair-goers, who were now fleeing for their lives. Wanda took a panicked glance around, wondering when security would show up.. truthfully, she hoped they were coming quick!

"You remember Wanda, don't'cha boy?" grinned Cosmo, who took Wanda's hand without warning. She barely started to argue when he shot up, floating at his beloved pet's eye level, and taking her with him! Wanda thought of poofing away, but knowing the volatile beast had fixed his eyes on her, she became too nervous to do anything. Cosmo went on, "Do you wanna spend the night at her place? Huh? Do ya?"

"C-Cosmo! Not good!" she choked out. Snowball leaned forward to take a better sniff at her. Wanda flinched away, edging closer to Cosmo's shoulder. Her eyes never left the dragons'. "You've gotta send him home before something happens! Besides, my parents won't let him stay over! A hydra's too big and unpredictable! They don't want anything destroying the house, or the neighborhood for that matter!"

"That's just 'cause they haven't met him yet," he countered. "Look, see? He likes you already!" He gestured behind Snowball, where his massive tail had begun to wag eagerly. (The fairgrounds behind it were nearly blown away!)

Wanda chanced a worried glance down, then returned to the hydra's heads. Sure enough, his mouths had all split into jovial grins! The center head went so far as to nuzzle Wanda's shoulder, as gently as he possibly could. The action was extremely out-of-character, as far as Wanda knew, but not entirely unwelcome. She let an uncertain smile cross her features. "H-hey there, big boy," she stammered.

"Growf," Snowball huffed. She raised her free hand, prompting the other heads to move in for a friendly pat on the nose.

Had Cosmo somehow tamed this thing? As Wanda offered the hydra chin-scratches, she had to consider the possibility. But Cosmo, she noticed, was watching the scene unfold with a mix of satisfaction and awe. Maybe he was as surprised as she...

FWOOOSH!

Not far from them, the Ding-A-Ling circus tent was cut through once more with a tower of flame. Snowball whipped himself around and fixed his gaze on the spot. When the flames subsided, the hydra gave a powerful cry and belched his own fire; this upstart was daring to challenge him! He was off like a shot, spewing fire in all directions.

"Do something, Cosmo!" Wanda cried above the screams below. "You have to send him home now!"

"O-okay, c'mon!" a clearly distressed Cosmo replied. Together they gave chase. The path of destruction was easy to follow. Fairies scrambled to restore their goods, or to get their families to safety, as tents and rides collapsed into the dragon's fire.

"I have an idea," said Wanda. "Remember what we practiced in class this week?"

"Uuuhh... hiding from Luther?"

"No! Summoning water! Use lake water to put out the fires!"

From their vantage point above the grounds, it was much easier to direct water from Crystal Mere to where it was needed. Wanda managed without much difficulty. Cosmo, on the other hand, was having trouble controlling where the water went, let alone calling it up in the first place. "Oh great! Whose idea was it to make water so runny? It's not like it has anywhere more important to run to!"

"Never mind that!" shouted Wanda. "Just call up something to carry the water in!"

Cosmo wracked his brain. Moments later, a plastic child-sized cup, decorated with dancing monkeys, appeared in mid-air. "All these years, and it still works!"

"_Bigger!_" Wanda insisted, her patience finally wearing thin. Feeling a stab of fear at her tone, Cosmo quickly enlarged the cup to five times his size.

The hasty operation carried on. Cosmo and Wanda were soon joined by other fairies following their example. The group was able to bring the fire relatively under control... but they weren't out of the woods yet.

Snowball gave another furious cry ahead. He'd reached the circus and proceeded to tear into the tent. The sound of several fairies poofing out could be heard from where Cosmo and Wanda were floating. The performing dragon within roared defiantly, and within seconds, both creatures had tumbled out of the tent, fighting tooth and nail, shooting fire everywhere they went.

"Snowball, stop!" Cosmo cried. He abandoned fire control and flew at top speed to his beloved pet, with Wanda not far behind. "We just had your nails done at the groomer's!"

The dragons continued on. Snowball leaped aside as his opponent shot a fireball his way. It soared harmlessly past.. but straight for Wanda!

She couldn't think - suddenly there was nothing but light and heat. The fairy could feel it almost on top of her, she hoped she could poof out of the way, when-

"WANDA!" A streak of green plowed into her before the fireball did.

They careened to the clouds, the fireball just missing them and continuing its' wayward journey. The fairies landed with a gentle thump. Cosmo had landed almost squarely on top of Wanda, who had curled into his arms on instinct. They took a moment to recover; both were panting from the adrenaline. They carefully moved apart.

"Are you okay, Wanda?" Cosmo asked, not quite letting her go.

"Yeah, I... thanks," Wanda replied quietly, not quite wanting to move.

Screams, whistles, and explosions suddenly tore through the night sky! Cosmo and Wanda jumped apart to witness the spectacle. The fireball had landed amongst the supply of fireworks. Luckily, they had all been arranged and aimed skyward. Bright colors and beautiful patterns shimmered against a background of stars before drifting down to what remained of the Zonklin Fair. If it wasn't for the unfolding chaos, it would have been a stellar event.

The noise had startled Snowball briefly, whereas the circus dragon, accustomed to fireworks, took the chance to pounce. He pinned two of Snowball's heads down and snapped at the third. Desperation caused Snowball to fight back viciously; he was kicking into the other's stomach with his claws. Both had abandoned using flame in favor of clawing, beating, and biting the vital points.

"Hurry Cosmo!" Wanda sat up and brandished her wand. She cast the first spell she could think of - aiming at the circus dragon, she conjured a large steel cage around him and threw him several yards away. The beast fought against the bars, to no avail.

At the same time, another beam of magic struck Snowball. He jerked in momentary surprise before poofing out of sight.

Cosmo lowered his wand with a dejected sigh. "He's usually so well behaved!"

"Uh, if you say so," Wanda groaned, too exhausted to argue. "At least it's over now, thank goodness!"

"Y-yeah..." His voice carried a tone of reluctant defeat. Looking at her companion, Wanda knew he was struggling to remain calm.

"Cosmo?" She scooted closer and rested her hand on top of his. "What's the matter?"

The green fairy stammered and mumbled to himself. He wouldn't even look at her! Now Wanda was getting worried. Maybe all the excitement with Snowball had been too much for him? Doubtful as it was, she could think of nothing else that would upset him so. He wasn't prone to this sort of mood often; the thought of her usually-cheery friend so distraught didn't help her much.

Her growing feelings towards the clumsy fairy may have had something to do with it too...

"Let's get going," she suggested brightly. "We've seen the fireworks and all! We don't have to stick around here anymore!" Yes, the farther away from whatever was troubling him, the better.

However, Cosmo's shoulders slumped even further than before. "Okay... if that's what you really want..."

"I saw him! The guy who summoned that hydra! He went this way!"

"I'm gonna twist that pipsqueak's head right off his shoulders!"

"Not if I get there first!"

Cosmo and Wanda froze. The mob was growing with each passing second, judging by the volume of enraged voices. And yes, they really _did_ know where Cosmo was! He grabbed Wanda's hand as soon as he saw their glinting crowns hovering over a rising cloud. "Yeah, great idea, let's get outta here!"

With a loud 'VAMOOSE!' poof, the pair had vanished from the Zonklin fair.

OoOoO

They reappeared in a quiet neighborhood, where the only lights came from stars and street lamps. All of the houses were dark. Silence rang in their ears after facing all the cacophony of the fair. Both fairies breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close," chuckled Cosmo.

But Wanda was staring at him in confusion. "Did you just... poof us both at the same time?"

He blinked. "I thought you followed me!"

"No, I didn't get a chance to!" She grabbed his free hand, squeezing them both excitedly. "You really did it! I knew you could! Oh Cosmo, you're gonna graduate for sure!"

At long last he met her eyes; she giggled at his bashful smile. "Well, it ah.. it helps to have a great teacher."

Wanda felt heat rush from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She wanted to laugh; he'd paid her similar compliments before, but they'd never brought about this sort of reaction.. until tonight. She gave him a sincere smile. "Thanks... for everything. I had a great time with you."

Green eyes widened with shock as she said this. "You really mean it?"

"Of course! I mean, Snowball was a bit of a handful, sure," - Cosmo's face started to droop - "but aside from that, it was fun!"

A hesitant moment passed. Then, Cosmo tightened his hold on Wanda's hands, just enough. "Then... does that m... do you... would you want to..." His whole face had turned red by then, giving Wanda a good idea of what he was trying to say.

"W-Wanda, do you wanna do this again? Just you and me? I know I'm not always smart and I get into trouble and you almost got roasted alive by a circus dragon but I really hope you want to go out with me again! AAH! Wait! Did I say 'go out with me'? I meant 'go out as friends'! Because we're still friends, right? Right? Friends go out all the time! Please say yes, please say yes! But only if you want to! I don't wanna force you to do anyth-"

A gentle finger pressed against his mouth. Cosmo immediately fell silent. He then noticed that Wanda was grinning against a wave of laughter.

"Slow down, you might actually have to breathe after all that!" she giggled. "You have to give me a chance to say yes, silly."

She pulled her hand away to rest it on his shoulder, beaming the whole time. On the other hand, Cosmo was completely dumbstruck. "Say what?" he rasped.

"I said yes, Cosmo," she repeated gently. "I want to go out with you again."

Wanda then gathered all of her nerve and gave his cheek a warm kiss. She pulled back and caught his flabbergasted, but adoring gaze... just before a horrible noise ripped through the air.

"_HOW DARE YOU! I always knew you were nothing but trouble! Get away from my Cosmo-lolo, you little hussy!"_

OoOoO

What better to persuade an author to continue than a cliffhanger? 8D

(is viciously beaten into the ground) X_X

I'm really really sorry this update took forever! Now that my Mewse has free reign over both this and my Ryuko DragonHalf account, I don't feel so restricted either way. Any sort of creative elbow room is a big plus in my book! I'll be back soon with another update! Chao for now! :3

NEXT TIME: Oh dear, she was going to cause problems sooner or later, wasn't she? Wanda's family won't make things any easier, especially Blonda! And when the weekend's over, Cosmo and Wanda have school to deal with too. How does their budding relationship stand against the odds? STAY TUNED!


	5. Making It Work

OH DUDE.

Another chapter.

... don't hurt me? XD

Please accept my sincere apologies for this ridonkulous delay! Many factors contributed, including more discouraging episodes of the TV show. Then they introduced Poof, who I simply adore, and whose addition to the show inspired a possible bonus chapter at the end of all this! So I wrote a bit here and there, got involved in a buttload of other projects...

And then came the bombshell - live action TV movie?

Now I'm not completely against the ideya, nor am I totally against the casting choice! I quite like Jason Alexander, and although he may not totally look the part, if he can pull it off, then huzzah! I just hope the writers are up to snuff - with one Nick cartoon adapted to a live-action movie that ultimately bombed, you can't blame me for not being totally enthused...

But what am I rambling about? You want a new chapter, and lookie here, I have it! So I hope it was worth the wait, and I hope to continue this one to the end! WOO!

OoOoO

CHAPTER FIVE: Making It Work

OoOoO

A tower of bright sea-green hair curlers stormed to the pair. It sounds ridiculous, but when that tower is attached to the head of an enraged Mama Cosma, there's ample reason to fear! So it was that Cosmo and Wanda, eyes wide with surprised terror, huddled even closer to each other. This action, however, only fuelled the older fairy's fury.

"I said get _away_ from him, girl!" she shrieked. A handful of lights clicked to life from nearby homes at the sound of her bellows. "You have no right to fondle my baby like that!"

Wanda's eyes bulged from their sockets. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

"M-Mama, wait!" Cosmo pleaded, turning to place himself between Wanda and his mother's reach. "Don't be upset! We were just going out to-"

"Going out? At this time of night? Without _my_ permission? How could you do this to your own mother?" Her rage was suddenly replaced with shock and disbelief. She clasped her hands together in a dramatic display of heartbreak. "When you didn't come home after work, I was worried sick! Cosmo, my precious child, gallivanting about at all-hours is only asking for trouble! If I hadn't tracked you here, who knows what could have happened to you!"

"You've been tracking him?" asked an incredulous Wanda.

"Of course! What sort of mother would I be if I didn't?" Mama Cosma proudly poofed up a handheld device with a flashing antennae. A bright green dot blinked on the screen's map; next to it, matching Wanda's location, was an angry red exclamation mark decorated with devil's horns. "Those braces aren't just a fashion statement, I'll have you know. And don't you forget it!"

Cosmo's eyes crossed downward in an attempt to see his braces. "I've got actual hardware in my mouth? Coo-al!"

On the other hand, Wanda's personal views of Mama Cosma dropped another twelve notches.

The overbearing mother poofed the device away, then aimed her wand directly between the pair. "This ends right here, right now! Mark my words, Cosmo dearest, she's nothing but trouble! I know the kind of girl you should get close to, and this little trollop is farthest from it!"

"Now wait just a minute!" The girl in question broke away from Cosmo. She floated right up to Mama Cosma, unafraid, her own indignant fury growing in strength. "First of all, my _name_ is _Wanda! _I've done absolutely nothing to deserve being insulted like this, and you know it! AND secondly," she broke in as Mama Cosma opened her mouth to continue, "Cosmo and I are very good friends! Going out together is what friends do! What's so wrong about that?"

"Well! I certainly wouldn't expect YOU to understand," was her nonplussed reply. "You're no mother. You're just a wispy little so-and-so who can fall to the carefree wiles of fairy dust on a whim! Don't think I didn't see that kiss, young lady!"

Wanda glowed. A gasp in her throat threatened to deny the fact out loud, but one look at Cosmo, and the idea fizzled out of existence. She couldn't pretend it was meaningless, not now; not when something was flickering to life between them. And besides, Wanda was certain this was different from "fairy dust". Why extinguish what could be the best thing she's ever had? Cosmo certainly wasn't about to; he glanced between the two ladies, cheeks aflame and random gibberish tumbling from his lips, but grinning stupidly all the same.

If she started giggling now, Wanda knew there would be more trouble, but it was getting hard to resist!

"I've had enough of this, and so have you, Cosmo-lolo!" Mama Cosma barked. "We're going home right now!"

Her son stopped babbling. He remembered that tone of voice, and even _he_ wasn't dumb enough to ignore it. "Y-yes Mama," he sighed.

Next to him, Wanda slumped and bowed her head in exasperated defeat. She should've expected this. Wanda had been able to sneak tutoring sessions without her knowing so far. If she and Cosmo were to take this relationship any further? They'd barely have five minutes of peace before checking over their shoulders again! It sounded like so much trouble.. maybe _too_ much. The last thing she wanted was to put Cosmo through all this. That would be unfair.

As Cosmo reached for his mother's waiting hand, he glanced at Wanda from the corner of his eye. She looked the way he felt. He loved his mother dearly, he really did! She was always taking care of him and protecting him. What did she see about Wanda that was so dangerous though? If anything, _he_ was the more dangerous one. The girl he adored was almost hurt today because of him! And it wasn't her fault either! He just didn't understand it.

For the first time in his life, Cosmo doubted his mother. Even if Mama had cared for him so long, maybe she _didn't_ know everything. She made Wanda sound so bad, but... that couldn't be true! Wanda was so nice to him, and she laughed at his jokes, and she had beautiful swirly pink hair, and she was smart, and she wasn't afraid of Mama, and... well, the boy could go on! If he saw so many wonderful things in her, why didn't Mama see them too? He turned to look at her fully.

Gorgeous, smart, fun, brave, a living dream come true... nope, no sign of trouble... very pretty though...

Wanda raised her head in time to catch a pair of bright green eyes staring dazedly at her. She flushed and shyly turned away. What in Fairy World was he looking at? Certainly not a frump like her!

"Cosmo? COSMO! Ooooh, that does it, young man!" Mama Cosma snatched his hand. "If you keep this up, then no Dairy World trips for a week! Do you hear me?"

If he did, he showed no sign of it. All of his attention happily rested on Wanda.

His mother was absolutely **livid**. She pointed at Wanda and growled, "Don't you ever come near my son again, or I will make sure you regret it!" With a furious wave of her wand, both green-hued fairies vanished from sight.

It took Wanda a few seconds to pull herself together. Mama Cosma's words were a fading memory; Cosmo's lingering gaze, however, was another story! Normally, she would've spared no mercy on any fairy caught staring at her, especially like _that_! But then again... when was the last time _any_ fairy (besides Wandissimo) stared at her? Blonda was the gorgeous one, everyone knew that. She swallowed a wave of envy at the thought. Surely Cosmo had ogled _Blonda_ a few times, hadn't he?

Well... Wanda had to admit, he _seemed_ rather taken with her own appearance - what about it, she would probably never know. There was something about Cosmo's look too.. it was different from Wandissimo's adoring gaze. She couldn't pinpoint it.

Still, whatever it was, she was shocked to find she quite enjoyed it!

So it was that Wanda ended her roller-coaster outing with a bright smile and a giggle. She poofed home, certain that it had been a wonderful day after all.

OoOoO

"And just where've you been all night, young lady? D'you have any idea what time it is? I almost sent my boys out lookin' for ya! You'd better have a good reason for causin' me so much grief!"

The last thing Wanda expected upon poofing home was her whole family waiting up for her. To her utter surprise, not only was her father staring her down the instant he'd heard her arrive, her mother and sister watched the scene from the living room! They were all in nightclothes and warm robes, but didn't seem the least bit relaxed. Wanda immediately felt the rock in her gut sink to some point below her feet.

"U-uh, hi Daddy! And Mother, and Blonda!" she greeted with a plastic grin. "I didn't think you'd all stay up so late on my account, er... how sweet of you?"

"Nice try," Blonda rolled her eyes.

"Sweetheart, let Daddy handle this," her equally blonde mother chided.

All attention fell on Big Daddy. He said nothing more, but he folded his beefy, pajama-clad arms, and fixed his pink daughter with a pointed look. Wanda didn't fall under this particular look very often, but she knew she was really in for it now.

She took an uneven breath. "Well, I wasn't doing anything bad! I was just out with some friends!"

"Until after midnight?" Big Daddy demanded. "You know better than to pull a stunt like that!"

"At least let us know where you are," came Mother's softer voice. She showed very little anger, but the glimmer in her eyes spoke volumes. A twisting sensation wrapped around Wanda's chest, thinking that she'd once again disappointed her mother. Her approval came to Wanda once in a blue moon, it seemed. Unlike certain siblings...

Blonda heaved a dramatic sigh. "She didn't even tell me where she was going after school! My friends and I took her out for a good time before my party, a-and all she did was.. just... up and leave us there!" The actress made a great show of her distress; she turned away to hide her tears. However, Wanda knew it was to hide her clever grin.

Instantly, Mother swept to her sniffling daughter. "There there, dearest, it's all right," she simpered. "I'm sure Wanda didn't mean to do such a thing to you..."

"Mother! That's only her half of the story!" Wanda protested.

"You listen to _me_, young fairy," Big Daddy growled, placing himself between pink and blonde. "None o' that's important! You went out, and you _stayed_ out, without tellin' any of us where you were, past your curfew!"

"I know, and I'm really sorry! I was just.. having too much fun." Realizing just how futile her argument sounded, Wanda shook her head. "I'm sorry Daddy. I promise never to do it again." As honest as she was, she had trouble looking at anything but the polished hardwood floor beneath them.

Big Daddy grunted, "Well. It's late, so get to your room. We'll discuss your behaviour further in the mornin'."

"Yes Daddy," Wanda mumbled and floated dejectedly to the stairs. About two-thirds of the way up, her parents began a hushed argument over something; they rarely agreed on anything these days. Her staying out obviously didn't help. Guilt sank deeper into her chest.

When Blonda suddenly poofed in front of her, the guilt instantly transformed into frustration.

"The goody-two-shoes in trouble!" she jeered. "My, this _is_ a rare event! It should be preserved for eternity!" A camcorder appeared in Blonda's hand; she was filming her sister's bitter glare within seconds. "Oh, doll, you're a _natural_! You're a shoe-in for the Zappys! Work it, babe!"

"Stop it," Wanda sighed, "I've had enough for one day." She poofed into her room and immediately began a search for her fluffiest pajamas. Unfortunately, Blonda poofed in behind her, determined to rub it in.

The intruding fairy gave an exaggerated whine. "Aww, don't be such a pixie, it's just a bit of fun!"

"You think it's fun to make me look bad in front of Mother? _Again_?" Wanda ground out between clenched teeth. "You are completely unreasonable and unfair! Why do you do this to me?"

The camcorder dropped to Blonda's side. "Oh, ex_cuse_ me? At least one of us was home tonight AND having a good time! I'm not the one who practically spent the entire night out with some loser friends and left her family hanging!"

As the blonde twin said this, Wanda's temper incinerated its' already feeble restraints. She flew to her sister and snarled, "Since when do you care? You didn't even WANT me here! Not unless it would bring Wandissimo around! Well, I've got news for you! I am _NOT_ a free pass to anything _YOU_ want! If I choose to spend my free time with someone who really, truly cares about poor unpopular me, what are you gonna do about it? Just do us both a big favor - leave me the smoof ALONE!"

The twins glared at each other. To anyone else watching, they would have thought it was no more than a staring contest. But in the tense moments that followed, the pair took advantage of their unique familial bond and attempted to read one another. In years past it had come as naturally as breathing, and they could synchronize their actions perfectly. Now that their relationship was rather strained, it took a lot of effort - or a strong wave of emotion - to get any sort of empathic bead on the other.

Blonda was the first to break the link. The camcorder vanished from her hand as her fist clenched. Astonished fury swept across her face. "You can't be serious," she hissed.

Unsure of what was being referred to, Wanda said nothing.

"You have no idea... you don't get it! You don't appreciate anything, _not one thing_! You think it's easy to get this popular? I had to claw my way up, rung by rung, all on my own because no one helps anyone become greater than themselves! That's how it works! And what do I do once I reach the top? Only the stupidest thing in the world!"

She backed away. Wanda's glare faded when she realized that tears were pooling in Blonda's eyes.

"I offered... I gave you a chance. That just doesn't happen, Wanda. When you're given a chance at something great... something.. no one else can have..." The blonde choked out a sob. "It's all practically given to you! You don't just push it away! You're not supposed to!"

Wanda's anger was soon overwhelmed by her sister's sorrow; she realized, with a start, that she'd felt something like it earlier that evening. Had that been Blonda? What in Fairy World happened to bring this on?

"Blonda..." she began uncertainly, reaching a hand to her.

Her twin shoved it away.

"You don't know a good thing when you see it! You're all aces in school, but when it comes to what really matters, you're a bigger idiot than that freak Cosmo!"

One abrupt poof later, Wanda was alone.

"He's not a freak," she sniffled to the room.

She sank onto her bed, the fluffy pajamas forgotten. Once again, Blonda's genuine heartache had spilled over to her twin; tears trickled down her cheeks. Wanda didn't brush them away. Her head was spinning, logic attempting to overcome emotion. In the eye of that particular storm, exhaustion found her and offered a reprieve. She took it gladly. Things would be dealt with tomorrow, when she could think again.

The girl didn't bother to change. She curled into her pillow and conjured a raggedy stuffed pony into her arms. The toy reminded her of the pet she wanted, of Snowball.. of Cosmo.

With a faint smile, she kissed the pony's forehead and closed her eyes.

OoOoO

If Cosmo had known the sort of trouble he'd face in the coming years, he would have appreciated this (relatively) peaceful weekend more. As it was, he was spending the Saturday afternoon shopping with Mama. The stores were crammed with bustling fae, customers and salesfolk alike, below the din of mingled voices and polished mall muzak. The activity alone was enough to keep his child-like attention span entertained. But to Mama's consternation, one element continued to interrupt their routine.

"Mama, look! That swirly pink lollipop looks like Wanda's hair, doesn't it?"

"This chocolate's great! I bet Wanda would like it too!"

"Sorry, Mama, I didn't hear you. What's that about Wanda?"

"I wonder if Wanda likes the HenningStreet Boys... I hope not..."

"Oooh, those are the dresses Wanda wears! Do you think she buys them here? Maybe she's shopping today! Let's go Mama!"

"ENOUGH!" she finally cried out. Her shopping bags nearly flew from her hands. "How many times have I told you, you're not to have anything to do with that girl at all! Don't even talk about her!"

Cosmo instinctively cringed. "S-sorry Mama.. I forgot again."

"Well, try to remember this time, dear," she sighed. "I would think banning you from Dairy World would be more than enough punishment for you. Once _she's_ out of our lives for good, you're free to visit as much as you like!"

She expected his face to light up in anticipation. But he barely managed a guilty half-grin. He started tapping the tips of his fingers together, as though he'd been caught sneaking food to his hydra again. "Cosmo-lolo? What's the matter?"

He moved as though to turn away, then changed his mind. He only ever fidgeted this much when he knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, someone was going to shout at him. Cosmo struggled with himself to meet her concerned gaze. "I was... I was wondering. Um.. why is.. why do you say Wanda's bad? 'Cause I don't.. I can't see what's so, uh... what's so wrong. About her."

Mama Cosma's face betrayed no emotion, save for a slight widening of the eyes. Then she blinked. Then she answered in a lilting manner, "Oh, pumpkin, don't fret over something so trivial! You let Mama take care of it, there's a good boy. Now, is there anything we've forgotten here?"

".. but... Mama, I-"

"We mustn't waste any more time! There's a bit of gardening to be done before it gets dark. Come along!" She briskly turned and navigated the crowded mall, cheerily humming along to the muzak.

Cosmo wasn't sure what to make of it. Usually when Mama said she'd take care of it, he was all too happy to let her fix the problem so he could continue his carefree day. Now it bothered him. He had so many questions! Was there really something about Wanda he didn't know? Even if there was, Cosmo was sure he'd still adore her.

Whether Mama allowed it or not.

He couldn't disobey his Mama.. could he?

The idea was making his stomach hurt.

OoOoO

Meanwhile, strolling through Runic Park, Mystic and Jen were deafening Wanda with their delighted squeals. Even though the rosy fairy was losing all feeling in her arms, thanks to their over-excited grips, she couldn't help grinning herself.

"Talk about perfect timing!" Mystic cheered. "Oh wow, it sounds like Cosmo is just who you needed!"

"We're sooooo happy for you! We couldn't sleep at all last night, we were so excited!" giggled Jen, who gave a little twirl.

"Aw c'mon, girls, it's only one little date we had," Wanda reminded them. "There's no telling what's gonna happen from now on! I mean, if his mother has her way..."

Mystic snuffed at the mention of her. "Please! Since when does anything get in the way of true love, least of all one crazy wingnut like her?"

"True love?" Wanda squeaked. "N-no way Mystic, it's not..."

"You liiiiike him, don't'cha?" Jen leered, laughing again as Wanda's face lit up.

"W-well I.. yes, o-of course I do!"

"So there's no telling what'll happen now, anything is possible, right?"

"I.. but he... I don't know..."

"Oh don't frown like that! You know he just adores you! Ah! It's so sweet that you like him too!"

"Stop it, Mystic!" Wanda ground herself to a halt. She glanced around at the fairies surrounding them, and was relieved to find no one staring at them. "The point is, it's too soon to tell, and I'd rather not... think about it like that. With everything happening so fast, I want to avoid rushing into anything and making a bigger disaster than before!" She sighed, feeling her heart clench with affection and distress all at once. "I just want this to last. I don't know why, but I do..."

Mystic murmured quietly and, followed closely by Jen, wrapped her friend in a hug. "It'll be fine, Wandie, really! We've got a good feeling about Cosmo."

"It's not that - his mother is completely overbearing, and my parents are beyond overprotective! I don't know how we'll deal with that!"

Jen piped up, "Your talk with 'em this morning really spooked you _that_ much?"

"Why wouldn't it! Remember what they _said_?"

"Easy! They asked why you were so out of it yesterday, and you told them about your break-up, the drama that followed, and going out with friends to make you feel better. Pretty understanding if you ask me, they didn't even ground you!"

"Yeah, because I didn't mention Cosmo at all, and-"

"Oooh, don't forget what Big Daddy said about Wandissimo!" Mystic chimed. "That's the best part!"

Fighting laughter, Jen imitated Wanda's father as best she could. "'If he ever makes trouble for you ever again, my boys an' I'll rough 'im up so smoofing bad, he won't be able to rip anotha' shirt wit' his pecs for the rest of eternity!'"

Wanda moaned and threw herself onto the sparkly, cloudy park lawn, one arm over her eyes. "There's no talking sense to you guys..."

"Come ON, he only said that because you were an emotional wreck, and he's worried about you," insisted Jen, landing beside her friend. "Honestly, it sounds like he didn't like Wandissimo any more than we did. He's just being a dad to his little princess!"

"Yeah, and there's _no way_ Cosmo would even dare cause you grief! He might not have book smarts, but you said it yourself: he's got a good heart!" said Mystic. She lifted Wanda's arm from her face and grinned at her tired expression. "Your dad won't have any problem with him then, right?"

"Oh sure - and when he finds out Cosmo's _why_ I was so late last night, that'll go SO well..."

"HEY! Positive thinking!"

"All right all right! Hmm..." Despite everything Jen and Mystic said, Wanda had a gut feeling this relationship with Cosmo wouldn't be a flutter through the park. Still... "If this is something we really want, I guess.. we'll find a way to make it work.."

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" her friends shouted, and proceeded to tackle poor Wanda, who finally started laughing along with them.

OoOoO

Cosmo floated back to admire his handiwork. It was almost supper time, and he'd spent the rest of the afternoon working in his mother's garden. Mama handled the majority of it, of course, and with her magic, it hadn't taken more than fifteen minutes. On the other hand, Cosmo worked diligently on his little patch for hours.

Typically, his attentions would've turned elsewhere after the chore became tedious, but today was different. Mama Cosma beamed with pride - he'd been working so hard at school, actually able to concentrate for a change, and was finally ready to graduate this year! Her little boy was something special. Cosmo brightened her spirits every day, and she would risk everything to make sure that light never left her.

The doorbell rang, turning her attention away from cooking supper. She answered the door with a friendly smile - only to have it fade slightly at the blue-haired teenage girl on her doorstep. "May I help you, little girl?" she cooed, not opening the door fully.

If the girl noticed Mama's attitude, she didn't let it show. Instead, she gave a perky wave and beamed up at the irritated stack of curls. "Hi Miss Cosma! You look fabulous today! My name's Mystic, I'm one of Cosmo's classmates, and I was wondering-"

"He's far too busy doing more important things," Mama declared with a shake of her head. "My Cosmo-lolo has no time to fritter away on flights of fancy like yourself, so kindly be on your way."

"Oh, goodness, that's not why I'm here!" Mystic chirped. Her grin, now seething with indignation, fixed itself across her face as she forced the door open wider. She pushed an envelope into Mama's hands. "Clearly you don't understand. This is an extra assignment he left after school yesterday. Our teacher wanted me to deliver it, that's all!"

Now the sea-green fairy was interested. She looked at the envelope as though it held a winning lottery ticket. "An extra-credit assignment! Oh, this is delightful news! _Finally_ they are giving my baby a chance to shine above the rest!" She raced to the back door, not giving Mystic another thought, and shouted to the garden, "Cosmo dear! I have a surprise for you!"

"Coming Mama!" came his sing-song reply.

"Such a good boy," Mama sighed. Then without another word, she started to rip the envelope open.

"No don't!" Mystic shouted and reached for the envelope.

Holding it out of the blue fairy's reach, Mama turned a suspicious eye on her. "And why ever not, little girl? Shouldn't a loving mother take an interest in her son's academic achievements?"

"No- I mean, yes! But that assignment's only for Cosmo. No one else can read it."

"... is that so?" Mama Cosma folded her arms. "And why is that?"

Mystic tried very hard to not twist her hands anxiously. "Uhh... i-it's like a, uh.. a test! That's exactly it, it's a test specially made for Cosmo! A-and if he does it all on his own, um, he'll... earn a... badge of honor?" There was a stiff pause. "And a scholarship?"

"Hmmm..."

"Hi Mystic!" Cosmo cheerily floated through the back door. "Are you the surprise? OH! Is Wanda with you? _Mama, is Wanda the surprise?_"

"**Absolutely NOT!**" his mother growled, and turned on Mystic. "So you're in cahoots with that swirly pink temptress! I'll not have anything to DO with that creature under my roof!" Her wand glowed almost as furiously as she did; Mystic swiftly poofed away, even as Mama screeched, "Get out at once! Out! OUT!"

"Mama!" Cosmo grabbed her wand arm, tugging it back to get her attention. "Mama, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said Wanda, I know it makes you upset. Please don't hurt Mystic, she's my friend! And she didn't say Wanda, I did! I'm really sorry, Mama, really!"

The fury instantly melted away from Mama Cosma. She swept her son into a tight hug. "Oh, my dear sweet Cosmo, you have nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault that manipulative witches keep trying to steal you away from me. And remember what I'm always telling you, dear?"

After wrenching himself free from her grasp and catching his breath, Cosmo nodded. "It's not always my fault, no matter what everyone else says."

"That's right!" She kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair, then handed him the envelope. "And this is your chance to prove it, sweetheart. This is the surprise!"

Cosmo gasped and held it aloft in wonder. "Coooooool! An envelope! ... um, it's not really surprising or exciting, Mama."

She only tittered with delight. "Inside the envelope is your very own ticket to making your dreams come true."

"A ticket to Dairy World! YAAAYY!"

"No dear, it's an assignment from school."

Cosmo instantly made a face.

"Once you finish it, however, you'll be given a special award, and then you can do whatever you like! You could be a doctor, or a lawyer, or head of the Fairy Council-"

"Could I go to Dairy World?"

"Er.. well, I suppose - why not? You could be the next owner of Dairy World!"

"YAAAAYYYY!"

Mama Cosma laughed again, then directed her boy upstairs. "Now don't show or tell anyone what's in that envelope, not even me! It's a secret just for you." He nodded and continued up to his room, when a thought occurred to her. "Cosmo-lolo? What exactly did you plant in the garden?"

He turned to her with an embarrassed smile. "Uh, well... can it be a surprise?"

Mama Cosma beamed. "Of course, dear." As he made for his room, she smiled to herself. "Such a good boy."

OoOoO

The envelope sat silently on his bed, its contents still a mystery. Quite frankly, Cosmo would've preferred to keep it that way. He didn't like schoolwork at all, unless Wanda was helping him, of course. He let his mind happily wander to the rosy fairy of his dreams, how pretty she was, how kind and patient she was when teaching him things, how she miraculously kissed him the night before and said she wanted to go out with him, how angry his Mama was...

"AAAH!" he cried out loud, almost expecting his Mama to be towering over him with another lecture. Finding none, he sighed with relief and returned his gaze to the offending envelope before him.

That's right - Mama said he had to do this on his own. She looked like she really wanted him to. But what if he couldn't? What if he let her down? What if he needed Wanda's help? He was doing a little bit better in school, and he could do a few things without blowing things up or summoning Snowball.

Although, if he blew up the assignment, he wouldn't have to think about it anymore...

"I don't wanna think about it at all!" he pouted, flopping back on his pillow. Thinking took so much effort sometimes, and he had to think about things that were unbelievably boring! Why waste so much time on being dull when there was so much fun all around him, just waiting to happen?

_You can have fun after the boring stuff, Cosmo. It'll always be there waiting for you!_

He blinked. That's what Wanda said, the very first time she helped him with his homework.

As it turned out, she was right! Every time they finished a lesson, they would play with their friends in the park or go to Dairy World or see a movie, or something else that was fun. It definitely made the boring stuff go away faster!

_What do you want to do after we're finished?_

She always asked him that before they started working. He sighed. "I wanna see you again, Wanda," he mumbled aloud. "I want us to go and have fun like yesterday."

_Sure, that sounds fun! We'll do that after our work, all right?_

He sat up. The envelope was still there, refusing to go away. "Even if I can't do it?"

_Don't be silly! Maybe it'll take some practice, but I know you can do it, Cosmo!_

"I can do it..." Cosmo felt his enthusiasm come back. No matter what anyone else said, Wanda always told him he could do it. She _knew_ he could do it, and she knew a lot of things, way more than most of the other fairies in school! And if he didn't do it the first time, she was always there to help and encourage him, and he would keep trying until he did it right!

He wanted to be right. He wanted _her_ to be right. He wanted her to smile at him when he got it right!

Before his courage could run off again, Cosmo grabbed the envelope and tore it open, determined to make Wanda proud of him. He unfolded the lined paper and, struggling only a little, read through its contents.

_Hi Cosmo!_

_If you're reading this, then Mystic succeeded in her mission. She told your mother this was a super-secret assignment from school that only YOU are allowed to read. While it is a secret, and you're the only one allowed to read it, this is not an assignment._

_I just wanted to write you a letter - I don't think your mother wants me to visit or call you, and I don't want to get you into any more trouble! But I still wanted to thank you for everything yesterday._

_I had so much fun, I didn't even think about my sister or Wandissimo! I really needed that, Cosmo. I think... I really needed you, and you were there for me. I don't know what it is or why it's happening, but I'm becoming very.. fond of you. (In case you don't have a dictionary there, that means I really like you!)_

_We probably won't be able to hang out again until Monday, though. My mother wants to take me shopping tomorrow, and that could last all day! Blonda threw a fit until Mother said she could come too. All those expensive stores and perfumes and makeover parlors... I'd rather go to the fair with you! But I want to try to be friends with them again. I hope it works!_

_Anyway, Jen wants me to stop writing so Mystic can get this letter to you. (They're crazy!)_

_Thank you again, Cosmo! I'm so glad you're my friend. You mean a lot to me..._

_- Wanda_

_PS - **don't tell your Mama about this letter!**_

It was a very good thing that Wanda added that postscript. When Mama Cosma called her son to supper, he zig-zagged and looped around the house, cheering wildly the entire time - and all he would tell her was, "That was the best surprise EVER!"

OoOoO

Monday morning found the front lawn of CPPHS packed with students, all chatting about their weekend, determined to enjoy their last few minutes of freedom. While the main topic of discussion continued to be Blonda's outstanding party, another juicy rumor flitted from one pack of friends to the next.

"You guys heard about Wandissimo and Wanda, right?"

"Who hasn't by now! Someone told me an old girlfriend from Fairynando stole him back."

"Yeah, and Wanda was forced to hide from her army of rabid elves!"

"I thought she was turned into a medusa?"

"Naw, I heard she actually dumped him."

"... okay, we're going with the _believable_ rumors here, a'right?"

"Wanda! Wanda, _mi ángel_!" The buzzing gossip dulled as Wandissimo scanned the swarm of teenagers for his one and only. "_Querida_! My vision of physical perfection is incomplete without you by my side! Please return to me! Behold, I am swooning for you!" And so he did, shredding yet another tank top in the process. Every female who could see him squealed and zipped closer for a better look.

Well, almost every female. "Please tell me I didn't date that musclehead," Wanda griped from around the corner of the building.

"The truth stings, don't it?" Jen quipped, earning an irritated smack in the shoulder.

"Somehow I get the feeling I'll be regretting this for a few centuries. Who knew he could be so.. so clingy!"

"You don't suppose he's getting some depth out of all this? You know, feeling insecure and needy underneath the shallow exterior - maybe he'll change for the better!"

Wanda shook her head and clutched her textbooks even closer. "Going by Blonda's rant yesterday, he's one-hundred-and-thirty-eight percent determined to get me back. I'm hoping she finds him soon and gives him my message."

"What's the message again?"

"NO."

"Ah, simple, to the point, leaves no room for loopholes. Genius!" The girls laughed and peered around the corner again. "I don't see them yet, do you?"

"Mmm-mm... you don't think his Mama would keep him home from school this late in the year, would she?"

Before Jen could reply, the girls heard a pair of voices call out to them from above. They looked up to find their two dear friends coming in to land, having flown too high to draw attention from their classmates. Quite suddenly, Wanda's heart raced when she spotted the green fairy trailing behind Mystic.

Jen saw Cosmo's wild grin from a distance, and when she turned to Wanda, she was mildly stunned. The rosy fairy, who'd appeared to her as a bag of nerves ever since the diner, met Cosmo's joyful expression and easily matched it. Despite the outrageous rumors about her flying around the school, being forced to hide from her unrelenting ex, the looming threat of at least one crazy parent, and having forgotten the assignment that was due today, it was as though nothing had gone awry at all.

"Wandaaa!" came his delighted cheer, and within moments he'd practically tackled the girl, who only laughed, dropped her books, and returned the embrace. Jen barely contained her excited squeal and gave Mystic a high-five.

"No road bumps and no wingnuts tracking us today, captain," Mystic reported with a pleased grin.

"Which means all that's left is crowd control and spreading the truth to the gossiping masses!" Jen declared, striking a victorious pose.

The young couple pulled apart and turned to their friends. "You guys are the greatest," Wanda beamed. "Completely insane, but the greatest!"

"Yeah! Thanks for flying me to school Mystic! I might've gotten lost forever, and then who'd be here to feed Snowball? He has such a picky diet, you know."

"Er.. right you are, Cosmo," Mystic smirked. Then she squared her shoulders and adjusted her crown. "Come on Jen! Let's get down to business and leave these two to re-unite!"

"Awww, but Mystiiiiiiic..."

"Ah ah ah, let's go!" She grabbed the orange fairy's arm and headed for the crowd. "The bell's gonna ring soon anyway! You can spy on them some other time."

The girls vanished from sight around the corner. Cosmo and Wanda looked at one another, realized they were actually alone again, and suddenly became bashful. It was Cosmo who laughed first, then took Wanda's hands in his own. "I missed you a lot, Wanda."

She glowed under his adoring gaze. "I missed you too. Hey, did you get that 'top-secret assignment' from Mystic?"

"Oh yeah! And guess what - it wasn't an assignment at all! It was actually a letter from _you_!" He announced this to Wanda with genuine surprise. "Can you believe it? I even read it three times! It was the greatest assignment ever! But I don't have to give it back for marks, do I?"

Wanda had to speak through a stream of laughter. "No no, you, ahaha, you can keep the letter, hahahaha!"

"Oh good," he smiled, laughing with her just because. "I brought both of them, just in case, but I'd like to keep the one you wrote!"

She giggled and tilted her head at him. "Both of them?"

"Yeah... the one you wrote, and the one I wrote." He reached into his back pocket and produced two folded letters. Wanda recognized hers - folded three ways and quite rumpled - while the other was more of a lumpy square. This is what Cosmo handed to her, and she took it with a smile.

"You wrote me a letter back..?"

He nodded shyly. "I tried to spell right - if I asked Mama for help, she'd know it was for you and I didn't wanna make her mad again, so..."

A loud chime echoed around the school. There was a collective groan of disappointment from the front lawn, followed closely by the sound of fairies poofing indoors for their first class. Wanda quickly gathered her textbooks and gave Cosmo an apologetic smile. "Time for school, I guess."

"Aw smoof..." Cosmo groused. But his mood instantly brightened when Wanda kissed his cheek. She pulled back, bright red.

"Thank you, sweetie... I'll, um.. see you at lunch?"

His brain had stalled. "I.. um... uh... pudding?"

She laughed again and vanished from sight. Cosmo staggered around to the front of the building, more dazed than usual, and promptly bumped into someone just around the corner. This seemed to snap him back into first gear. A bright blush and wide smile danced onto his features, and he grabbed the stunned someone and swung them about while shouting, "She called me sweetie! She called me sweetie! She kissed me again and called me sweetie!"

He released his unwitting dance partner and poofed away, hopefully appearing in his classroom. The stranger he'd grabbed, however, shook herself back into place and took no joy in what she'd just heard.

"_That's_ the way it's gonna be? Hmph, as if! Better enjoy this, Wanda, 'cause after today, it's _done_." Soon after, Blonda was gone.

OoOoO

I WILL BE CONTINUING THIS! SERIOUSLY!

I have a pretty good ideya where to go from here, but because of other heavily overdue projects, I'm afraid I can't promise when it'll be ready to post! But I won't leave you guys hanging forever! It'll only seem like it. XD Please let me know what you think! More reviews = more encouragement for the self-conscious writer! And as always, thank you for your kind views and reviews! You're all wonderful!

NEXT TIME: The news about our young couple spreads fast, meaning Cosmo is confronted by his love rival for the very first time! Will he and Wanda make it to their next date? Will they even _survive_ their next date? All I can say is, _ouch_, poor Wanda! But don't worry, no matter the consequences, Blonda's determined to make the world right again... or should I say _her_ world? STAY TUNED!


End file.
